The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working alongside the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help prevent the spread of rabies. Starting mid-October, Wildlife Services will be distributing oral rabies vaccine for wild raccoons in western North Carolina.
“The best way to prevent rabies is to avoid contact with wild animals and ensure pets are vaccinated against rabies,” said Emily Herring, NCDHHS Public Health Veterinarian. “Through this annual oral rabies vaccine distribution and the vigilance of pet owners, we can work to prevent the spread of this deadly disease.”
The baits — consisting of a sachet or plastic packet — contain an oral vaccine that vaccinates animals against rabies virus when consumed. To attract raccoons, the packets are sprinkled with a fishmeal coating or encased inside hard fishmeal–polymer blocks about the size of a matchbox. When a raccoon bites into a bait, the vaccine packet is punctured, allowing the vaccine to enter the animal’s mouth, which activates its immune system to produce antibodies. This protects the animal from becoming infected with rabies…