KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — In an effort to prevent the continued spread of rabies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, is coordinating with the Tennessee Department of Health to drop over 300,000 rabies vaccine baits in the state’s eastern region.
Between April 8 and 18, low-flying airplanes will drop bait in rural areas in Bradley, Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamilton, Johnson, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Polk, Rhea, Sequatchie, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties. Also, helicopters will drop baits in urban and suburban communities in Bristol, Chattanooga, Elizabethton, Erwin, Johnson City and Mountain City between April 13 and 19. During the same time period, ground teams will spread the baits by vehicle in Chattanooga.
The bait distribution program is part of an effort to prevent the spread of the rabies virus to the west. The project is based out of three airports. Throughout April, almost 1.7 million baits will be distributed in areas of east Tennessee, western North Carolina, southwest Virginia, and north Georgia. The scent of the baits attracts wild animals, such as raccoons, which eat them and are then vaccinated against rabies…