Rabies vaccine distribution scheduled by air & ground for August, September in Erie County

USDA program distributes oral rabies vaccine for wildlife from by fixed wing airplane from Aug. 12-21, by helicopter Sept. 14-19

√ Erie County vector control staff will distribute vaccine on ground from Aug. 12-24

Submitted by the Erie County Department of Health

As part of a nationally coordinated effort to reduce risks for rabies in wildlife, Erie County will see distribution of rabies vaccine bait by air and on the ground in August and September. These activities will start Aug. 12, with fixed-wing airplane dropping bait over rural areas through Aug. 21, and Erie County Department of Health staff placing bait on the ground through Aug. 24. (Schedule dependent on weather.) Helicopters will cover suburban areas from Sept. 14-19.

“Our rabies prevention program gets quite busy in the summer, with calls about bat encounters and animal bites,” Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein said. “We are glad to be able to coordinate with USDA on this distribution; those low-flying planes and helicopters, and people with buckets at the edge of wooded areas – they are with us. Dropping bait by air and distributing it on the ground for wildlife to eat is an efficient and effective way to reduce rabies prevalence and the risk of transmission to humans and pets.”

Ninety percent of reported rabies cases in the U.S. are in wildlife, making it important to reduce risks of exposure, infection and death in animals with an oral vaccine. 

“Our office fields hundreds of calls each year to report a bite or scratch from an animal. Mammals with rabies can transmit the virus through a bite or scratch; in humans, without prompt medical attention – post-exposure prophylaxis or ‘rabies shots’ – the disease is fatal,” Burstein continued. “If you, or a person or pet in your household has contact with any animal, please call our office and we can investigate.”

“For residents who see these small, green packets on the ground, do not be alarmed,” Environmental Health Director Jennifer Delaney said. “The bait’s outer layer is essentially vegetable fat and sugar – attractive for animals like skunks and raccoons. Bait that is not consumed within a few days will dissolve.”

She continued, “Our fall rabies vaccine clinics are scheduled for Sept. 12 and 19 for pet owners to get their dogs, cats and ferrets vaccinated for free. Register at erie.gov/rabiesvaccine.”

•Do not disturb vaccine packets. Most packets are eaten within four days; almost all baits will be gone within a week. If packets are not found and eaten, they will harmlessly dissolve and exposed vaccine will become inactivated. If you must move a vaccine packet, wear gloves or use a plastic bag or paper towel to pick it up. Place any damaged baits in the trash; throw intact baits into a wooded area or other raccoon/wildlife habitat. 

•Residents should wash hands immediately if they come into direct contact with the vaccine or packets, then call the NYSDOH rabies information line at 888-574-6656.

Additional recommendations include: 

•Supervise children’s outdoor activities during bait distribution and for one week afterward (through the end of August). 

•Confine dogs and cats indoors and observe leash laws during the bait distribution interval and for one week afterward. This will increase the probability of raccoon vaccination and decrease the chance of pets finding the baits. 

•Residents should not risk being bitten while trying to remove bait from your pet’s mouth. The bait will not harm your pet, though an animal may vomit if it consumes several baits. Contact a veterinarian if your pet has consumed vaccine baits. 

•Residents who come in contact with wildlife vaccine packets can call the NYSDOH rabies information line at 888-574-6656 with questions or concerns.

For more:

•National rabies management program overview | animal and plant health inspection service (usda.gov) 

•Erie County Department of health rabies, rodents, arboviruses and related information: https://www3.erie.gov/health/rabies-rodents-vectors-arboviruses-and-related-information 

•New York State Department of Health, rabies: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies