USDA begins distributing oral rabies vaccine for wildlife

The RABORAL V-RG oral vaccine bait. (Photo courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service)

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has begun its yearly distribution of RABORAL V-RG (Boehringer Ingelheim), an oral rabies vaccine bait.¹ This distribution is in addition to the agency's ongoing evaluation of the ONRAB (Ceva) oral rabies vaccine's efficacy and distribution techniques.²

APHIS Wildlife Services (WS), who is distributing the RABORAL V-RG vaccine, is placing the bait in select areas in eastern US. Distribution began around August 10. In rural areas, the vaccine bait was distributed via airplane. In urban areas, it was dispersed by helicopter, vehicle, and bait station. To appeal to animals, the RABORAL V-RG vaccine sachets are coated with a fishmeal attractant and are packaged in 2-inch plastic sachets or 1-inch square cubes.¹

WS and its partners will distribute oral rabies vaccine baits from airports in the following cities¹:

In Northeast to Mid-Atlantic states during August¹:

• The Houlton, Maine, project: Will cover parts of northern Maine and distribute approximately 384,000 oral vaccine baits by airplane and vehicle.
• The Buckhannon, West Virginia, project: Will include portions of western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and a small area in southwestern Virginia, distributing approximately 508,000 oral vaccine baits by airplane and vehicle.

In Massachusetts from mid-September through mid-October¹:

• The Cape Cod, Massachusetts, project: Will cover parts of peninsular and mainland Massachusetts and distribute more than 70,000 baits by helicopter, bait station, and vehicle.

Southern states will be covered in October¹:

• The Abingdon, Virgina, project: Will cover parts of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia and distribute more than 891,000 oral rabies vaccine baits by airplane, helicopter, and vehicle.
• The Dalton, Georgia, project: Will cover areas in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, distributing approximately 865,000 baits by airplane and helicopter.
• The Gadsden, Alabama, project: Will cover parts of Alabama, including the Greater Birmingham area, and distribute approximately 855,000 baits by airplane, helicopter, and vehicle.

The RABORAL V-RG vaccine is safe for a variety of animals, including domestic cats and dogs. However, ingesting a significant number of oral rabies vaccine baits can lead to an upset stomach in dogs, although there are no associated long-term health risks, according to the USDA. The USDA advises adults or children that come into contact with the baits to promptly rinse the affected area with warm water and soap.

In the US, rabies detection, prevention, and control can surpass $500 million each year, according to the USDA.¹ Animals most affected by rabies in the country include bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. At least 7 out of 10 people in the US who die from rabies in the US were infected by bats, making contact with infected bats the primary cause of human rabies deaths.³

Although rabies has a high death rate in humans, the disease is rare in humans in the US, with fewer than 10 human deaths from rabies being reported each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, rabies poses a serious threat to public health, as more than 90% of animal rabies cases happen in wildlife. Moreover, almost 3 in 4 Americans reside in areas where raccoons, skunks, or foxes carry rabies.³

References

1. USDA begins 2024 oral rabies vaccination efforts targeting wildlife in eastern United States. News release. Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service. August 9, 2024. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/usda-begins-2024-oral-rabies-vaccination-efforts-targeting-wildlife#:~:text=WASHINGTON%2C%20Aug.,raccoon%20rabies%20into%20America's%20heartland.
2. Bautista-Alejandre A. The USDA to continue field assessment of oral rabies vaccine for wildlife in 8 states. dvm360. July 30, 2024. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.dvm360.com/view/the-usda-to-continue-field-assessment-of-oral-rabies-vaccine-for-wildlife-in-8-states
3. About rabies. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/about/index.html