Raccoons to Receive Anti-Rabies Oral Vaccine

Broward County (Fla.) workers this week will start vaccinating raccoons, which are considered the main rabies threat in the county.

More than 200,000 pieces of fishmeal bait that are laced with an oral vaccine will be distributed in the next few weeks, said Alan Davis of the county's Animal Care and Regulation Division.

To get the job done, 140 workers will spread the bait by hand in much of the county and Broward Sheriff's Office helicopters will drop the bait in sparsely populated areas. The vaccine is not dangerous, but people and pets should avoid touching or eating it, Davis said.

Since July 2000, 34 cases of rabies have been reported in the county.

This is the second year of the county's five-year Oral Rabies Vaccine Program, which aims to reduce the incidence of rabies in raccoons and lessen the threat to humans, pets and other wildlife. Pet owners are also urged to get their cats and dogs vaccinated each year, another key to preventing rabies infection, Davis said.

Source: Sun-Sentinel