ALBAMA ( WRBL ) — The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) says they United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin distributing oral rabies vaccines across the state’s northeast counties in October.
According to DAPH, the vaccine bait packets will be distributed by vehicles in the Birmingham Metro Area and surrounding communities from Oct. 1 to Oct. 6. In the urban areas, vaccine packets will be distributed along the tree lines, while in rural communities airplanes will be used to drop the packets across heavily wooded areas.
The following counties have been identified as having drop zones by ADPH:
- Bibb
- Blount
- Calhoun
- Cherokee
- Chilton
- Coosa
- Cullman
- DeKalb
- Etowah
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Madison
- Marshall
- Morgan
- St. Clair
- Shelby
- Talladega
- Tuscaloosa
The vaccine bait packets contain a plastic sack with the vaccine inside. They also have an outside shell coated with fishmeal or dog meal, which is designed to attract raccoons.
ADPH advises anyone who finds these bait packets to leave them alone in order to let wildlife find them. ADPH says skin reactions may occur in humans and it is best to avoid direct contact with the skin, eyes or mucous membranes.