Allegheny County to distribute rabies bait by land, air to vaccinate raccoons
The Allegheny County Health Department has issued an alert to pet owners that it will begin distributing bait to vaccinate wild raccoons against the rabies virus starting Friday.
Between July 31 and Aug. 10, employees and volunteers with the county health department and the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Rabies Management Program will be driving throughout the county — including many parks — to distribute “bait” containing the vaccine.
Rabies is a viral infection that can affect the nervous system of animals and humans, according to health officials. It is almost always fatal if untreated.
Rabies spread quickly among raccoons and can be transmitted to pets by a bite or scratch, which puts humans at greater risk for exposure.
So far this year, 11 animals have tested positive in Allegheny County for rabies, including five raccoons, three bats, two cats and a groundhog.
The last reported case was on July 9 in Ross Township, when a stray cat tested positive for the disease.
The bait will be delivered by low-flying helicopters and airplanes from Aug. 11-17.
The aircraft will fly a north-to-south pattern over areas throughout the county, including residential neighborhoods, county officials said.
To ensure the bait is properly distributed, the aircraft may move slowly over the same area multiple times, officials said.
This is the 20th year the vaccine baiting program has been conducted.
The bait contains a fishy smell that attracts raccoons and is proportioned to make it difficult for smaller critters to eat, according to the county.
The vaccine cannot cause rabies.
Raccoons that eat the bait will be vaccinated against rabies by developing antibodies in two to three weeks after it is ingested.
Contact with the bait should be avoided, and if it must be moved, latex gloves are recommended.
Although the bait is not fatal if eaten by pets, consuming too much can cause an upset stomach or diarrhea, health officials said.
The health department urges residents to bring food that raccoons might eat inside to ensure they are hungry enough to eat the bait.
Tony LaRussa is a TribLive reporter. A Pittsburgh native, he covers crime and courts in the Alle-Kiski Valley. He can be reached at tlarussa@triblive.com.
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