Rabies oral vaccine bait packets airdropped into Maine woods

[RememberSchiff]

This August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, will drop rabies vaccine bait packets from aircraft as well as distribute them from vehicles on the ground. A total of about half a million packets will be distributed!

"Humans and pets can’t get rabies from the vaccines, but Jackie Farwell, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services advised people to not touch or move them.

Anyone who does come in contact with them should rinse the affected area with warm water and soap. Dogs that ingest multiple bait packs may get an upset stomach, but won’t face long-term health effects, according to Farwell."

Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture scattered millions of packets of oral rabies vaccine from helicopters and planes over 13 states from Maine to Alabama.

"This photo shows three oral rabies vaccine types (top right to bottom left): blister pack, fishmeal-coated cube and fishmeal-coated sachet. Credit: Courtesy of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services"

Sources (including above photo):

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/08/02/state/maine-woods-oral-rabies-vaccines-distribution/

https://apnews.com/article/health-maine-animals-wildlife-rabies-66e7cce9c160a0e307c14b1a906bac6e

@yknot

[yknot]

On 8/3/2024 at 9:00 AM, RememberSchiff said:

This August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, will drop rabies vaccine bait packets from aircraft as well as distribute them from vehicles on the ground. A total of about half a million packets will be distributed!

"Humans and pets can’t get rabies from the vaccines, but Jackie Farwell, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services advised people to not touch or move them.

Anyone who does come in contact with them should rinse the affected area with warm water and soap. Dogs that ingest multiple bait packs may get an upset stomach, but won’t face long-term health effects, according to Farwell."

Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture scattered millions of packets of oral rabies vaccine from helicopters and planes over 13 states from Maine to Alabama.

"This photo shows three oral rabies vaccine types (top right to bottom left): blister pack, fishmeal-coated cube and fishmeal-coated sachet. Credit: Courtesy of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services"

Sources (including above photo):

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/08/02/state/maine-woods-oral-rabies-vaccines-distribution/

https://apnews.com/article/health-maine-animals-wildlife-rabies-66e7cce9c160a0e307c14b1a906bac6e

@yknot

Thanks for tag. It's a 30 year old program conducted from Maine to Alabama and administration is dependent on annual surveillance and identification of localized hot spots. Hopefully it continues to help keep rabies incidence in wildlife populations largely at bay. Scouts and scouters in the Eastern US should be familiar with what these oral bait sachets look like. 

[Eagle1993]

They look tastier than some summer camp meals I have had in the past.