The Anne Arundel County Department of Health will conduct the annual Raccoon Oral Rabies Vaccination (ORV) Project, beginning Thursday, August 26. Baits will be placed throughout Anne Arundel County to vaccinate raccoons against rabies. The project should be completed by the end of September, weather permitting.
The Baits…
- Contain liquid rabies vaccine.
- Will be placed in neighborhoods by ground teams of trained Department of Health staff. Teams will wear shirts with Department of Health logos and travel in marked County vehicles.
- Will be dropped from a low-flying County Police helicopter in less-populated areas.
- Are two types. One looks like a ketchup packet with a light brown waxy coating. The other looks like a small brown brick and is approximately 0.75 inches thick by 1.25 inches square and has a plastic packet inside. In both types of bait, the vaccine is contained within the packet.
- Are marked with a 1-800 phone number. Anyone who comes in contact with the bait or has a pet that finds the bait is asked to call the 1-800 number or 410-222-7192 during the week and 443-481-3140 evenings and weekends.
The Vaccine…
- Immunizes raccoons when the animal bites into the packet that contains the vaccine.
- Cannot cause rabies and is not harmful to raccoons, pets, or other animals.
- Has a very low human health risk. However, it is advised that the following individuals avoid handling the bait:
- People younger than 18 years old
- Pregnant women
- Anyone with a compromised immune system
- Anyone with a chronic skin condition
The Department of Health recommends that pet owners keep their pets confined or on a leash during the baiting and for two weeks thereafter. If your pet finds a bait, carefully remove the bait from your pet’s mouth.
For more information about the ORV Project, which began in Anne Arundel County in 1998, visit www.aahealth.org/orv.
