State to drop rabies vaccine Aug. 5-13 in rural locations

Aug. 4, 2022  |  By Waterbury Roundabout 

Example of a rabies vaccine bait blister pack. Image courtesy Vermont Department of Health

The annual rabies vaccine bait drop is scheduled to begin Aug. 5 as part of a nationally coordinated weeklong effort of the state of Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to prevent the spread of rabies – a fatal disease.

Rabies vaccine in the form of a sweet-smelling oral bait that is attractive to raccoons and skunks will be dropped in rural areas of Vermont from low-flying aircraft and placed by hand in residential centers. Pilots control the release of bait in order to avoid residential areas. When an animal bites into the bait, it takes in the oral vaccine and will develop immunity to rabies. 

Approximately 450,000 quarter-sized blister packs containing rabies vaccine will be distributed in nearly 100 Vermont communities across eight counties, according to the Vermont Department of Health.

State Epidemiologist Patsy Kelso said the practice represents the best in state and federal cooperation. “This is public health at work,” Kelso said. “The bait drop is an important part of our work to curb the risk of rabies in animals and humans.” 

A deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals, rabies is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get the disease. The virus is spread primarily through the bite of an infected animal. If a rabies exposure is left untreated, the disease is almost always fatal in humans and animals. Treatment is 100% effective when given soon after a person is bitten by a rabid animal.

So far this year, 15 animals in Vermont have tested positive for rabies, four of which have been raccoons.

The bait packs are not poisonous and are not harmful to people, pets or wildlife. Kelso said if people find the vaccine bait, they should leave it undisturbed so it can be eaten by wild animals. 

If your pet eats a bait or if you suspect an animal may have rabies, call the Rabies Hotline: 1-800-4-RABIES (1-800-472-2437) or 1-802-223-8697. Learn more about rabies in Vermont at: healthvermont.gov/rabies.