Rabies is a virus that affects the central nervous system in mammals and 

is almost always transmitted through saliva when an infected animal bites 

an uninfected animal or person. Rabies is invariably fatal if left untreated. 

Effective vaccines are available to protect people and pets.

Wildlife accounted for more than 90 percent of all reported rabies 

cases each year in the United States. Several different variants of 

the rabies virus exist in this country, and all variants are capable of 

infecting mammals, including humans. Raccoons, bats, and skunks are 

responsible for most reported cases, but foxes and coyotes also commonly 

transmit the disease.

The Role of the WS Program

WS helps alleviate or minimize wildlife damage to agricultural, urban, and 

natural resources. An important part of WS’ mission includes assisting 

in wildlife disease-management to protect public health and safety and 

animal health.

Since 1997, WS has been working cooperatively with local, State, 

and Federal governments; universities; and other partners to manage 

rabies in wild carnivores through education, surveillance, and oral rabies 

vaccination (ORV). A vaccination zone has been established from Maine 

to Alabama to prevent the westward and northward spread of raccoon 

rabies. Geographic features such as large lakes and rivers as well as 

the Appalachian Mountains act as natural barriers that help define the 

vaccination zone. Annually from 2005 to 2010, 6.5 to 9.5 million oral 

rabies vaccine-laden baits have been distributed targeting raccoon rabies 

in 15 eastern states.

Protecting People

Protecting Agriculture

Protecting Wildlife

Wildlife Services Factsheet

January 2011

Oral Rabies Vaccination 

Program in the East

Wildlife Services (WS), a 

program within the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture’s 

Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS), 

provides Federal leadership 

and expertise to resolve wildlife 

confl icts that threaten the 

Nation’s agricultural and natural 

resources, human health and 

safety, and property.

Its National Rabies 

Management Program 

represents an integral part 

of WS’ mission responsibility 

to assist in wildlife diseasemanagement to protect public 

health and safety and animal 

health.

WS rabies biologists take a tissue 

sample from an anesthetized 

raccoon to determine whether or 

not the animal ingested enough 

rabies vaccine to be protected 

from rabies..
In addition to working toward eliminating rabies 

where it already exists, WS also works with States to 

monitor uninfected areas near the vaccination zones. 

If a positive case was found, a contingency action 

plan may be implemented. Contingency actions often 

include WS personnel and cooperators’ conducting 

enhanced rabies surveillance. WS may also trap 

raccoons and skunks to vaccinate them against the 

disease and then return them to the wild. Oral rabies 

baits containing vaccine also may be distributed 

where the first case or cases originated to create 

immunity and prevent rabies from spreading.

Distributing the Vaccine

The baits manufactured by Merial Inc., consist of 

either a coated sachet (a catsup-sized plastic packet 

coated with fishmeal attractant) or an uncoated sachet 

encased within a fishmeal bait about the size of a 

matchbox. The sachet contains the Raboral V-RG® 

oral rabies vaccine.

When a raccoon bites into a bait, the sachet ruptures, 

allowing the vaccine to make contact in the animal’s 

mouth and throat. Animals that have contact with 

an adequate dose of the vaccine develop antibodies 

against rabies. As the number of vaccinated animals 

in the population increases, the ability to transmit the 

disease in the raccoon population decreases, creating 

an “immune barrier” to stop the spread of the raccoon 

variant.

Oral rabies vaccine is distributed mostly by air, 

but some residential or other populated areas may 

be baited by hand. Fixed-wing aircraft are the most 

effective means for dispersing large numbers of the 

ORV baits over rural areas. Hand baiting is used in 

urban and suburban areas to increase the likelihood 

of raccoons finding the baits while reducing the 

chance of people or domestic animals coming into 

contact with the vaccine. 

If you discover a bait, the best action is to leave it 

where you found it. Do not attempt to remove a bait 

from the mouth of your pet; doing so may cause you 

to be bitten. This vaccine cannot cause rabies and 

is safe if eaten by domestic dogs and cats. It has 

been tested on more than 60 animal species with no 

adverse effects. If you come into contact with the 

pink-liquid vaccine contained within the bait, wash 

the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and 

call USDA’s WS office toll free at 1–866–4USDA–WS 

(1–866–487–3297) for further instructions and 

referral. 

Determining the Effectiveness of the Program

After baits have been distributed and raccoons 

have had a chance to ingest them, WS works with 

To make the baits appetizing to animals, the sachets containing vaccine are sprinkled 

with fi shmeal coating and/or encased inside the hard fi shmeal-polymer blocks.

A raccoon takes an ORV bait from a station in an 

urban area.

ORV baits are a sachet—or plastic packet—that 

contains the rabies vaccine.
its cooperators to measure the success of the ORV 

campaign. 

Live-traps are set and checked daily. These traps 

are affixed with labels in case individuals discover a 

trapped animal and wish to contact WS. All captured 

raccoons are temporarily anesthetized so that blood 

samples can be taken and a small, single-rooted 

premolar tooth may be removed. Once the anesthesia 

has worn off, the raccoons are released back into the 

wild at their capture sites. 

All samples are sent to cooperating laboratories 

such as the rabies laboratory at the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, 

GA, where the rabies antibody level for each raccoon 

sample is determined. Tooth samples are sent 

to laboratories for examination to determine the 

animal’s age and if their tooth contains a tetracycline 

biomarker indicating whether one or more baits 

were ingested. The biomarker causes the formation 

of a tissue layer in tooth and bone visible under a 

fluorescent microscope.

The Future

Expertise from a variety of sources, including public 

health, wildlife, and agricultural agencies, is integral to 

the team-centered approach for rabies prevention and 

control.

WS provides a variety of technical and operational 

services for rabies management, including assistance 

with effective disease and wildlife population 

surveillance, a continuing commitment to the 

development of additional species-specific oral 

vaccines, and improved strategies to prevent human 

exposure to rabies.

Protect Yourself from Rabies

As the cost of living with rabies in the United States 

exceeds $300 million a year, it is important to educate 

the public about how to keep from contracting this 

disease.

Listed below are helpful hints on how to reduce 

the possibility of contracting the rabies virus.

• 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 wildlife officials.

• Do not make your yard inviting to wild animals. 

 Remove trash and secure garbage cans. Do not

 leave pet food outside.

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

 do not let them roam.

If You Are Bitten

• Immediately wash the bite with soap and water for 

five minutes

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

without receiving additional bites or other injuries. 

• Immediately report the bite to your doctor and 

your local health officer. 

Additional Information

For more information, please visit the National Rabies 

Management Program’s Web site at www.aphis.usda.

gov/wildlife_damage/rabies/index.html or call 1-866-

4USDA-WS (1-866-487-3297) to contact your WS 

State office. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service