From Valleynewslive · · 1m 20s
USDA is dropping rabies vaccine from the sky
Millions of fishmeal baits are going out over four Southeast states this October, and there's a reason South Carolina is left out.
In brief
Millions of fishmeal baits are going out over four Southeast states this October, and there's a reason South Carolina is left out. If you find a fishmeal sachet on the ground this October, leave it alone. It's a rabies vaccine bait meant for raccoons, and it's safe around pets. Originally reported by Valleynewslive.
Vaccines from the air
The USDA is spreading millions of rabies vaccine doses across the Southeast this October, dropped by plane, helicopter and vehicle.
Bait a raccoon will eat
The dose is hidden in fishmeal-coated sachets, cubes and blister packs. Wildlife eat the bait, and the vaccine goes to work.
“airdropping and spreading fishmeal-coated sachets of the vaccine to be consumed by wildlife”
Four projects, four zones
Abingdon, Virginia covers NC, TN, VA and southern WV with 686,000 baits. Andrews, North Carolina adds 415,000 across western NC and north Georgia.
Alabama gets the most
Dalton, Georgia distributes 648,000 baits over AL, GA, NC and TN. Gadsden, Alabama drops roughly 712,000, the largest share of any project.
Leave the sachets alone
If you find one, don't touch it. They're safe for dogs and cats, and a dog that eats several may get a brief upset stomach with no lasting harm.
“dogs that eat multiple baits may experience a temporary upset stomach, but there are no long-term health risks”
Why South Carolina is skipped
The zones form a moving wall at the westernmost edge of raccoon rabies. Rabies is already everywhere in SC, and the program won't spot treat outbreaks outside the barrier.
“The goal is to prevent westward spread of raccoon rabies by creating a continuous vaccine barrier”
The headline
If you find a fishmeal sachet on the ground this October, leave it alone. It's a rabies vaccine bait meant for raccoons, and it's safe around pets.
