Rabies Combatants Deserve Thanks
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Those thanks are delivered to all of the people around us who work diligently to keep our communities safe from rabies.
Largely unheralded and under our collective radar, individuals with the Ohio Department of Health, local health departments, the US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the Center for Disease Control have and continue to make the deadly rabies virus a non-thought-about issue for most of us.
Successful and on-going anti-rabies programs have given most of us the luxury of not being very concerned about rabies. That’s a good thing. But, something we shouldn’t take for granted.
Rabies still exists in small pockets and, unfortunately, Northeast Ohio is one of those pockets.
Bats, raccoons, and skunks are some of the common animals that can carry strains of the virus.
As pictured to the right, we have captured tagged raccoons in our area that are a part of a rabies monitoring program.
When these tagged raccoons are captured we call the number on the tag and give information related to the location of capture, etc.
With this week’s post we want to take a moment to applaud all the efforts to keep rabies at bay and do our part in raising awareness to the anti-rabies efforts our public agencies undertake.
Rabies Vaccination is Key
Dealing with sick raccoons, bats, and skunks, the possibility of being exposed to rabies is a lot higher for nuisance animal removal professionals than the majority of the population. No doubt, that’s why this issue strikes a chord with us.
Even more relevant, Ryan has been bitten by a sick raccoon before. After his potential exposure he participated in the rabies reporting and testing process in a very personal way.
It was determined he was not exposed to rabies. (Phew!)
His chances of being exposed to rabies were lowered because the anti-rabies efforts (especially among the raccoon population) are working. When the system works properly, there are few wild animals with rabies and an individual’s chance of exposure if bitten by an animal is greatly minimized.
Keeping the incidence of rabies low largely centers around on-going vaccination programs. Vaccinations are key!
Just like communicable diseases among humans and our pets, vaccinating wild animals against rabies is the most effective means of prevention.
But unlike humans and our pets, trips for wild animals to the vaccination clinic aren’t a thing.
So, how are raccoons here in Northeast Ohio vaccinated? With large-scale distributions of tasty vaccines around Northeast Ohio. Read on.
Oral Rabies Vaccine for Raccoons Distributed in Northeast Ohio
Think of candy being tossed at a parade. Do you ever see many Jolly Ranchers and Tootsie Rolls left on the side of the street?
That’s how we interpret the methodology the Ohio Department of Health and the USDA use to get raccoons in Northeastern Ohio vaccinated.
The candy is the rabies vaccine and the kids hungry for sweet treats are analogous to the raccoons.
And just recently, there was a large “parade” through Northeast Ohio where 800,000 doses of vaccine were tossed out to the raccoon population.
Check this press releases out:
Ohio Raccoon Rabies Vaccine Distribution
Some highlights of the press release for us were:
- It’s an annual program that just recently happened
- 14 counties, among them our two of core service areas of Portage and Stark Counties, are included
- A sweet-smelling waxy coating surrounds the small vaccine dose
- Most doses are eaten in 24 hours
- Aircraft and hand distribution helps get the vaccine distributed
Again, thanks to all those involved!
Let Us Deal With Sick Raccoons | Stark, Portage, Summit
Awareness, not fear, of rabies potential is the key for those dealing with nuisance animals.
So, if you should happen upon a sick looking raccoon or skunk walking around your property what should you do?
First of all, don’t freak out. Diseases like distemper and parvo are much more common and the most likely causes of such behavior. Remember, there are a lot of people and agencies out there making sure that the incidence of rabies is kept very low.
Though there is rabies potential in our area, remember that the disease is passed through saliva. So, if you aren’t bitten, things will be okay. Be careful and things will be alright.
Similarly, we encourage do-it-yourself trappers to follow the law as it pertains to releasing live trapped animals.
Finally, if you live in the Canton, Akron, Kent area and would like the animal removed, give us a call to discuss our services.
