The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched its annual oral rabies vaccine distribution, focused on preventing raccoon rabies spread into America’s heartland. The vaccines are fish-flavored edible pellets designed to attract raccoons and similar critters.
USDA will distribute the vaccines by airplane in rural areas, and by helicopter in suburban and urban areas.
This month, the program is focused on Maine and West Virginia, and southern states will receive theirs this October. Parts of Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina will receive more than 880,000 vaccines. Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina will receive 820,000 vaccines, and parts of Alabama will include more than 1 million.
According to USDA, the oral vaccine is safe in more than 60 animal species.
Related:
Missouri State Extension is helping drop rabies vaccines from the sky
Rabies vaccine for wildlife to be utilized in northern Maine
Rabies vaccines distributed by helicopter, truck in Alabama
Story via Tanya Espinosa and Suzanne Bond with USDA APHIS
