PA to Drop Vaccine Bait on Wildlife
26 August 2009
by Anai Rhoads
AnaiRhoads.org -- Pennsylvania plans to set up vaccination pouches throughout 14 counties in the state next month, in an effort to prevent rabies transmission.
Although meaning well, this programme has the potential of killing many animals through over-consumption. Basically, there is no clear-cut tracking method in place to know which animal has already ingested this packet or not. Each plastic pouch is made up of an "enticing" fishmeal base, which will be laced with an anti-rabies vaccine product.
Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff claims that the vaccine contains, "only a small, non-infective portion of the rabies virus" and that it poses no immediate health risk to humans or pets. However, there are warnings stating that, "anyone who finds the bait should avoid handling it unless found where children or pets play." In addition, the bait can be "moved or disposed of only with gloves."
"Controlling the spread of rabies in wild animals is essential to human and domestic animal health," said Wolff. "The number of reported rabies cases in these western Pennsylvania counties has been cut by nearly 20 percent in the last six years due in part to the success of this vaccination programme."
Rabies is a serious issue, however, the state's method of controlling the virus is questionable. Since the beginning of this month, employees have spread the vaccine packs by hand in the more densely populated areas in the northwestern area of the state. The southwestern areas are currently being hand-baited, until 28 August.
Come September, this method will drastically change – as the state plans to use low-flying aircrafts to drop these packets randomly, leaving domesticated pets and children vulnerable. Once a child or pet reaches these packets, there they will easily open them and come in contact with the pink-coloured vaccine.
The programme will cover all or parts of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland counties.
Six agencies are partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services for this programme, including the state departments of Agriculture and Health, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Erie County Health Department, Allegheny Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control.
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