Starting in October, the USDA will scatter more than 2.4 million oral rabies vaccine baits across parts of the Southeast, part of a decades-long effort to stop raccoon rabies from spreading westward. The operation uses airplanes, helicopters, and ground vehicles to distribute the fishmeal-coated packets, which contain a vaccine raccoons absorb by simply biting into them. Four regional projects based in Abingdon, Virginia; Andrews, North Carolina; Dalton, Georgia; and Gadsden, Alabama will handle this year’s distribution across stretches of Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Alabama.
Florida is not part of this year’s drop zone, and South Carolina was left out as well. According to the USDA, the program places its vaccine zones along the westernmost boundary of where raccoon rabies is currently found, creating a moving barrier as the disease creeps in that direction. The agency says it’s close to establishing a baiting area in South Carolina counties that border North Carolina and Georgia within the next few years, which could bring the effort nearer to our region.
For anyone who finds themselves in the drop zones this fall, the baits are considered safe for pets and people. A dog that eats one may be fine; one that eats several could develop a temporary stomachache. The best advice is simple: if you spot a bait on your lawn or along a trail, leave it where it is. Raccoons need it far more than we do.
Have you ever come across a vaccine bait or seen the planes during a drop? Tell us your story in the comments.
