Monday, August 21, 2017
Staff report
COLUMBUS
The Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and local health departments, are beginning fall oral rabies vaccination operations this month in 13 eastern Ohio counties.
Weather permitting, actual baiting will begin on or around today , will cover 3,841 square miles of the state’s eastern border, and should be completed by Sept. 15.
Rabies is a viral disease that affects mammals, including people, and is almost always fatal. Rabies vaccine baiting operations are intended to immunize raccoons that are at greatest risk of being exposed to raccoon rabies coming into the state.
Bait distribution with the oral rabies vaccine Raboral V-RG Æ will take place in parts of Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties and all of Jefferson County. Bait distribution with the oral rabies vaccine ONRAB will take place in parts of Trumbull, Mahoning Columbiana counties in this area and all of Ashtabula county.
Baits will be distributed by various methods in each county, including fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter and vehicles staffed by USDA. Residents in the areas to be baited should keep children and pets away from the baits.