The Rabies

Management

Challenge

Rabies Background

Rabies is one of the oldest recorded diseases;

yet today it remains a significant management challenge for public health officials. Over the past 30

years, rabies management has grown in complexity

in the United States as a result of wild animals

replacing domestic dogs as the primary reservoir for

the disease. In addition, the costs of living with

rabies are high and growing, exceeding $300 million

per year. Addressing this significant public health

problem requires expertise from a variety of sources,

including public health, wildlife, and agriculture agencies.

In most years since 1980, more than 90 percent

of reported rabies cases have involved wild animals.

Several different strains of the rabies virus are in the

United States. Each strain is spread predominantly

by one wildlife species, but all strains are capable of

infecting warmblooded mammals, including humans.

Currently, raccoons and skunks spread most reported

rabies cases in the United States, but bats, foxes,

and coyotes also have a significant impact as wildlife

carriers of rabies.

People are almost always exposed to rabies

through the bite of an infected animal. People may

also be exposed if saliva from an infected animal gets

into a cut or open wound or makes contact with the

mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth.

Fortunately, there is a safe, effective, postexposure

treatment for rabies. However, left untreated, rabies

is always fatal.

Protect Yourself From Rabies

• Do not touch or pick up wild animals or stray

domestic animals.

• Properly vaccinate all family pets against rabies.

• Report unknown or strangely acting animals to 

your local animal control officer or, if the animal is 

wild, to State wildlife officials.

• Do not make your yard inviting to wild animals.

Remove trash and secure garbage cans.

• Keep family pets indoors at night. During the day, 

do not let them roam.

If You Are Bitten

• Wash the bite with soap and water for 5 minutes.

• Try to capture the animal only if you can do it 

without receiving additional bites.

• Immediately report the bite to your doctor and your 

local health officer.

The Role of the Wildlife Services (WS)

Program

The WS program, part of the U.S. Department of

Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service (APHIS), helps alleviate or minimize wildlife damage to agricultural, urban, and natural resources and protects health and human safety.

An important part of WS’ mission includes assisting

in wildlife disease–management efforts necessary to

provide for public health and safety.

WS has a long history of involvement with State,

local, and other Federal authorities in the fight

against rabies. In Texas, WS cooperated with officials

from the State Department of Health and other agencies and organizations to develop an oral rabies vaccine program to prevent the northward spread of a

canine strain of rabies in coyotes. WS is also cooperating in a similar control effort to eliminate rabies in

gray foxes in Texas.

In Vermont and Ohio, WS assisted in cooperative

programs to distribute bait to prevent the spread of

rabies in raccoons. In addition, WS will assist with

monitoring racoon populations collecting surveillance

data necessary to evaluate these field trials.

Factsheet

 	
 

 

APHIS

Raccoon
In the rabies control efforts in Texas and field trials in the Eastern United States, the vaccine used

(vaccina–rabies glycoprote) immunizes coyotes, foxes,

and raccoons that consume bait containing the vaccine. However, because the rabies glycoprotein portion of the vaccine is noninfective, it cannot cause

rabies.

In the Northeastern United States, WS serves in

an advisory capacity on rabies task forces to help

plan rabies management efforts. Since 1992, WS has

managed a toll–free rabies hotline in Vermont to help

Vermont citizens cope with raccoon, fox, and bat

rabies strains that continue to spread throughout the

State. This cooperative effort between WS and the

Vermont departments of health, agriculture, and fish

and wildlife operates under the principle that an educated public is at lower risk.

Rabies Management in the Future

The development of safe, effective oral rabies vaccines will likely change the approach to rabies management in the future. The preliminary success of

oral vaccination campaigns in Europe and Ontario,

Canada, and several field trials in the United States

have already advanced our understanding of this

approach to rabies management. Researchers continue to investigate the cost effectiveness of vaccines

to contain and eliminate specific strains of rabies.

Using oral rabies vaccines will not lessen the need for

sound disease and wildlife population surveillance,

however. Site–specific habitat management and population reduction will also continue to be integral components of rabies management campaigns involving

the oral vaccines.

Since its inception, the WS program has provided

a wide variety of technical and operational services in

rabies management, including surveillance, population

reduction, and habitat modification. WS research has

also helped develop bait to deliver oral vaccines and

toxicants. WS’ mission, history, and current blend of

expertise equip the program to assist with future

rabies management efforts.

Additional Information

You can get more information about rabies and

other WS issues from any State APHIS WS office.

WS’ “Living With Wildlife” factsheet provides helpful

tips on dealing with backyard wildlife. For the

addresses and telephone numbers of State offices,

call the WS Operational Support Staff at (301)

734–7921. You can also visit the WS Web site at

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ws.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to

all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative

means for communication of program information (Braille, large

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at

(202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of

Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and

employer.

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture