Vaccine for rabid raccoons
In Pittsburgh the annual raccoon rabies vaccine program has begun. Since 2002 the County health officials have used fishmeal cubes containing rabies vaccine to help reduce the rabid raccoon population. Since the inception of the program, there has been a severe reduction in rabid raccoons from 23 in 2002 to only 2 found the previous year. Staff and volunteers are notified by the public of the location of raccoons and they proceed to that location and hurl the vaccine laced fishmeal blocks in the area. Raccoons are often found around rivers, creeks and lakes therefore the majority distribution of the bait is found there. Over 230,000 rabies vaccine cubes are used a year. According to health department officials, the risk of infection to humans from an exposure is minimal, but nonetheless the public should avoid contact with the bait.
