MEADVILLE — Animal-control experts will be baiting raccoons in Crawford County later this summer as part of their annual effort to take a bite out of rabies throughout western Pennsylvania by vaccinating the wild critters against the disease.

Led by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, cooperating county, state and federal agencies are conducting the oral rabies baiting project in Crawford County between August and September, according to a brochure recently released by the department. The way it works, according to project leaders, is that vaccine-containing packets are coated with or placed inside blocks of fishmeal — a food source which is very appealing to raccoons — and then either dropped in various areas from low-flying airplanes or helicopters or by local teams on foot and in vehicles.

The bait is intended specifically for raccoons and other common rabies-carrying wild animals, and officials said everyone can help the effort by keeping their pets inside or on leashes during the baiting period and for about five days afterwards. If baits are found out in the open where contact with pets or children could occur, officials advise county residents to put on gloves, pick the bait up and simply toss it into deeper cover.

Residents and property owners are also advised they shouldn’t attempt to take baits away from pets if they do find them. It is not harmful for pets to consume a small quantity of baits, officials said, but if that happens, the area should be checked for others and additional baits should be removed and placed in other areas. The vaccine is not approved as effective for use against rabies in pets, officials advise.

As for children, officials said, the baits have a strong fish odor — usually unappealing to noses and taste buds. Also, it is not possible to get rabies from the vaccine, which contains a single gene that expresses the outer layer of virus and is set into a non-rabies “carrier” virus. As a precaution (and to eliminate any fishy odors), those who come into direct contact with the baits are advised to wash their hands thoroughly.

Raccoons are vaccinated by eating the baits, and develop protective antibodies within two to three weeks, according to officials. When enough raccoons are vaccinated, officials said, the risk of the spread of rabies is greatly reduced.

Early last week, the state Department of Agriculture issued the year’s first alert for Crawford County after a raccoon tested positive for rabies in Steuben Township. The raccoon, which tested positive after it was killed and sent to the Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory for testing, had entered the yard of a residence near Centerville and fought with a dog, according to a news release issued by the department.

The exposed dog was quarantined for 180 days, according to the department.

Officials advise pet owners that state law requires all dogs and non-feral cats 3 months of age and older to be vaccinated against rabies, with booster vaccinations required periodically. Failure to comply with the state law may result in a fine of up to $300.

Anyone who encounters an animal that may have rabies is urged to contact law enforcement authorities as soon as possible.

Rabies is a virus of the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) that can affect any mammal. It’s widespread throughout Pennsylvania, according to the state Department of Agriculture.

A total of three cases of rabies were confirmed by wildlife officials in Crawford County in 2011 — one skunk, one raccoon and one groundhog.



Learn more

The state Department of Agriculture has compiled reports and a fact sheet on rabies, as well as information on how to protect your family and pets against the disease and what to do if vaccine-containing baits are encountered. To access that information in full, visit agriculture.state.pa.us and type ‘rabies’ in to the search engine.