Tennessee Works With USDA, Other Southeast States to Prevent Raccoon Rabies
Thursday, September 25, 2008 | 06:13am
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health is participating in efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture to distribute an oral rabies vaccine for wild raccoons along Tennessee’s borders with Georgia, Alabama, Virginia and North Carolina.
The baiting program administered by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services program will begin Friday, September 26, 2008.
“We are pleased to work with the USDA to protect the health of Tennesseans through this important and effective rabies prevention program,” said Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN. “This is also a good time to remind pet owners of the importance of having all rabies vaccinations current for domestic animals, ensuring their health and safety as well.”
Vaccine packets placed inside fishmeal blocks or coated with fishmeal will be distributed throughout a 17 county area in Tennessee. The target area will include portions of Bradley, Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Polk, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi and WashingtonCounties. The barrier, which is approximately 30 to 60 miles wide and consists of about 4,465 square miles, runs along the Georgia border in southeast Tennessee near Chattanooga to the Virginia/North Carolina border in northeast Tennessee. Bait distribution will be accomplished by hand baiting from vehicles in urban and suburban areas and by dropping from specially equipped fixed wing aircraft in rural areas.
“Rabies is seen mostly in wild animals in Tennessee and poses a risk as humans and domestic animals come into contact with wildlife,” said L. Rand Carpenter, DVM, assistant state public health veterinarian. "Control of raccoon rabies is vital to public health, and we in Tennessee are very supportive of this USDA Wildlife Services effort."
This is the seventh year Tennessee has participated in baiting with rabies vaccine to slow and possibly halt the spread of raccoon rabies. There have been 20 cases of the raccoon rabies strain in a variety of wild and domestic animals in the Northeast Tennessee region so far this year. Since raccoon rabies was first detected in Tennessee in 2003, the disease has spread much less rapidly here than has been documented in other areas of the United States.
Although the vaccine products are safe, the USDA Wildlife Services program has issued these precautions:
- Do not attempt removal of the ORV bait from your pet’s mouth, as you could be bitten. Eating these baits will not harm your pet.
- If you or your pet finds bait, confine your pet and look for other baits in the area. Toss baits into a wooded or fencerow area. These baits should be removed from where your pet could easily eat them. Consuming several baits may cause your pet’s stomach to become upset.
- Wear gloves or use a towel when you pick up bait. Although there is no harm in touching undamaged baits, they have a strong fishmeal smell. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water if there is any chance that the vaccine sachet has been ruptured.
- Instruct children to leave baits alone.
- There is a warning label placed on each bait advising people not to touch the bait. The warning also contains the rabies information line telephone number.
As a reminder to help prevent exposure to animals that can carry rabies, the Tennessee Department of Health recommends that individuals enjoy wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats from a distance and keep pets up-to-date on rabies vaccination.
For additional information concerning rabies prevention or the oral rabies vaccine program, please call the USDA Wildlife Services toll-free rabies line at 1-866-487-3297 or the Tennessee Department of Health at 1-615-741-7247. You may also find rabies information on the TDOH Web site at http://health.state.tn.us/factsheets/rabies.htm.