Cat with rabies leads to emergency treatment for 3 people near Montreal

Three people in the Montreal area received emergency preventive treatment after exposure to a stray cat infected with rabies, according to the regional health department. Montérégie Public Health said the people were given postexposure prophylaxis, a multidose vaccine series used after potential rabies exposure. Quebec officials said the cat was the province’s first confirmed case of raccoon rabies in the animal in Godmanchester, in the Montérégie region. The province said rabies is spreading among wildlife in parts of Quebec and can be transmitted to domestic animals. Health officials urged anyone bitten, scratched, or exposed to saliva from a suspicious animal to wash the area for 15 minutes and contact InfoSanté at 811 right away. They also recommended keeping pet vaccinations up to date and avoiding contact with wild or unknown animals.