Rabies vaccine program under way in Western Pa.

HARRISBURG — The annual oral-rabies vaccination baiting program, which helps control rabies in wild animals, is under way in 14 western Pennsylvania counties, said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff.

The program covers all or parts of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Since early August, employees have been spreading vaccine bait packs by hand in densely populated areas of northwestern Pennsylvania. The vaccine pack is coated or placed inside fishmeal bait