Raccoon-rabies vaccination baiting begins Friday

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Health, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and local health departments, will begin annual fall oral rabies vaccination operations this week in 14 northeast Ohio counties, including Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull.

Weather permitting, baiting will begin on or near Friday and will cover 4,825 square miles of the state’s northeastern and eastern border. Bait distribution should be completed by approximately Sept. 3.

Rabies is a viral disease that affects mammals including people and is almost always fatal. Oral rabies vaccination baiting operations are intended to immunize raccoons that are at greatest risk of being exposed to raccoon rabies coming into the state. The goal is to create an “immune barrier” along the Ohio state line that can prevent the spread of the raccoon variant of rabies across the rest of the state.

Approximately 800,000 baits will be distributed by various methods in each county including fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter, and ground vehicles. Residents in the areas to be baited should be aware of low-flying aircraft and should keep children and pets away from the baits.

So far in 2019, two raccoons from Ashtabula and Tuscarawas counties have tested positive for rabies. More information about rabies in Ohio is available at www.odh.ohio.gov/rabies.