Distribution Area Map | Oral Rabies Vaccination Area | Raccoons and Rabies

To help slow the westward migration of raccoon-strain rabies in Ohio, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) began to conduct a program to distribute an oral rabies vaccine (ORV) to help immunize wild raccoons against the virus. Detailed information on the history of this baiting program is available on the Ohio Department of Health’s web site (http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhPrograms/dis/zoonoses/rabies/orv/orv1.aspx). The Ohio Department of Health has also released several documents that provide specific information on this year’s spring ORV baiting program and on the fishmeal vaccine bait.

The spring ORV program was added to the usual fall baiting program in response to infected raccoons being discovered west of the established immune barrier in Lake, Geauga and Cuyahoga counties. This year’s spring ORV program will commence in northeast Ohio on May 12th, 2009. The larger fall baiting operation typically includes all of the counties along the entire eastern border of Ohio, along with counties in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This spring ORV program only impacts a portion of this region. A total of five northeastern counties (Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Portage and Summit) will receive the vaccine baits.

Approximately 135,000 fish meal polymer baits will be distributed by hand and by helicopter throughout these counties. Due to state and federal budget constraints, there will be no aerial distribution by fixed-wing aircraft during the Spring ORV Program. The total number of ground baits to be distributed in Cuyahoga County during the Spring ORV Campaign will be nearly 49,000. This number includes the baiting to occur in the health jurisdictions of the cities of Cleveland and Shaker Heights. The aerial distribution does not occur in densely populated areas. The aerial bait application by helicopter in Cuyahoga County will take place in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the North Chagrin and South Chagrin Metroparks reservations.

The aerial baits will be distributed between May 12th and May 15th, while the ground application will range from May 13th to May 21st. The ground applied baits will be distributed by CCBH staff from clearly marked vehicles and on foot. The ground baiting should take between 7 and 10 days depending on weather conditions. The proposed ground baiting schedule is provided below.

ODH advises that public service announcements will begin to run on local radio stations in the days leading up to the ORV bait distribution. Please contact the Ohio Department of Health Rabies Information Line at 1-888-722-4371 with any specific questions about the program. You can also contact the Cuyahoga County Board of Health at (216)201-2000 with any general questions related to the local bait distribution.

Friday, May 15
Beachwood, Bedford, Bedford Hts., Lyndhurst, Orange Village, Warrensville Hts., South Euclid, Woodmere, University Hts. * Bait distribution dates in a particular community may not be completed on the date listed and may continue on the following day depending on weather conditions and daily workload.
Complete schedule at the Cuyahoga County Board of Health

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health reminds you to:

Avoid feeding or approaching wildlife while at a park or in the woods,

Vaccinate your companion animals against the rabies virus, and

Educate your children to stay away from wildlife and remind them not to attempt to help or to pick-up injured animals.

For more information call 1-888-722-4371 or visit the .ODH Zoonotic Disease Program Web Site

Distribution Area Map | Oral Rabies Vaccination Area | Raccoons and Rabies

Rabies Prevention Program
“Avoid, Vaccinate & Educate”

www.ccbh.net
5550 Venture Drive Parma Ohio 44130
216-201-2001