Rabies Bait Program Kicks Off Friday Across Harford County

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — To help combat rabies among wild raccoons in Harford County, a pilot program will launch Friday to stop the disease's spread.

The Harford County Health Department will be placing more than 15,000 baits containing the rabies vaccine across the county. The goal is to immunize thousands of wild raccoons.

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Ground teams will distribute the baits in known raccoon habitats throughout Harford County parks and neighborhoods, using marked state vehicles. Specific dates were not shared by the health department.

They're placed in late summer and early fall, as this is a time when baby raccoons are old enough to gather their own food, the county health department stated.

Because the bait's high-fat attractant can cause stomach irritation in dogs, cats and ferrets, pet owners are encouraged to keep pets confined or on a leash during the baiting and for two weeks after.

The bait will contain the Raboral V-RG live virus vaccine, but it cannot cause rabies and is not harmful to raccoons, pets or other animals. The vaccine has been used successfully in Anne Arundel County since 1998 and in more than 10 other states to control raccoon rabies, the health department stated.

While the vaccine presents a low risk to human health, the bait pouch should not be handled by anyone who is younger than 18 years old, is pregnant, immunocompromised or has a chronic skin condition.

The baits are made of fishmeal and polymers, and come in two forms: a small brown brick containing a packet of liquid rabies vaccine and a condiment-style packet coated with a waxy fishmeal attractant. The raccoon must bite into the packet to be vaccinated.

"We are committed to keeping our community healthy and the launch of this program marks an important step forward in preventing the spread of rabies and keeping Harford County residents and animals safe," said Harford County Health Officer Lauren Levy.

Rabies is a fatal viral disease spread through the bites or scratches of infected animals, or when their saliva comes into contact with a person or animal's eyes, nose, mouth or open wound. Since rabid animals can come into contact with people and their pets, rabies remains a public health threat.

"Rabies is a serious disease," Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly said. "Given the rise in positive tests among local wildlife and community concerns, I was eager to support the health department's request to fund this vaccination program. Our goal is to limit cases in the wild to protect people, pets, and other animals."

While pets can be vaccinated against rabies, people exposed to rabies must undergo a costly series of shots to protect them from the disease.

Anyone who comes into contact with the bait should call the Harford County Health Department at 410-877-2300. If a pet does find the bait, toss the bait in the trash. Wear rubber gloves or put a plastic bag over your hands when discarding. Wash your hands after handling the bait and report any contact with the vaccine liquid to the Harford County Health Department.

For more information about the program, click here.