DO NOT TOUCH: Bait Dropped From Planes In Upstate New York

Items from low-flying planes are going to be dropped across Upstate New York. Here's why and what you should do if you, your child, or your pet touches the bait.

Health departments from Upstate New York are working with the New York State Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services, to participate in another round of wildlife vaccination program for rabies.

Rabies Vaccination Programs In New York State

Rabies vaccines will be disturbed by low-flying airplanes and workers on the ground.

"This vital service distributes oral rabies vaccine in places where wildlife will eat it. When foxes, skunks, raccoons, woodchucks and other mammals eat these small green packets the size of a quarter coin, they gain protection against rabies, a virus that is 100% fatal," the Erie County Department Of Health stated.

Goodbye: Supermarket Chain with 60 New York Locations Confirms Closures

All distributions are weather-dependent, officials say.

Essex, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming Counties Impacted

Field evaluations of oral rabies vaccine are expected in Clinton, Essex, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming counties between August 12 and August 17.

For all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile

Timeline

The Erie County Department Of Health released the following timeline.

• August 12-17, 2024: Fixed-wing aircraft will drop oral rabies vaccine bait over wide sections of Erie County’s rural and suburban towns. Parts of western Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties, and northern Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, will be included.
• August 17-21, 2024: Helicopters will drop bait over central and northwestern Erie County and some villages.
• August 17, 2024: Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) vector control staff will distribute bait by hand starting August 17, 2024 in urban and more densely populated parts of the county.

How Bait Works, What Bait Looks Like

To make animals want to take the bait, the packs are coated with a sweet attractant that includes vegetable-based fats, wax, icing sugar, vegetable oil, artificial marshmallow flavor, and dark-green food-grade dye.

Humans and pets can't get rabies from the bait. Officials stress please leave the bait alone.

Officials also say don't remove the bait from your pet's mouth, adding the bait won't impact your dog. However, an animal may vomit if it consumes several baits.

This May Impact You: 1 Of New York's Biggest Gas Stations To Close 1,000 Locations

"When an animal bites into one of the baits it will release the vaccine into their mouth and, with an adequate dose, develop immunity to rabies. Humans and pets cannot get rabies from contact with the bait but are asked to leave the bait undisturbed if they encounter it. If contact with bait occurs, the contact area should be immediately rinsed with warm water and soap," officials said in a press release.

If You Must Touch Rabies Bait

If for some reason you must touch a vaccine packet officials recommend the following:

• Wear gloves or use a plastic bag or paper towel to pick it up.
• Place any damaged baits in the trash.
• Throw intact baits into a wooded area or other raccoon/wildlife habitat.
• Residents should WASH HANDS IMMEDIATELY if they come into direct contact with the vaccine or packets, then call the NYSDOH Rabies Information Line at (888) 574-6656.
• Supervise children’s outdoor activities during bait distribution and for one week afterward.
• Confine dogs and cats indoors and observe leash laws during the bait distribution interval and for one week afterward. This will increase the probability of raccoon vaccination and decrease the chance of pets finding the baits.
• Baits and vaccines are not harmful to domestic animals. You should not risk being bitten while trying to remove bait from your pet’s mouth.

Animals in Which Rabies is Most Commonly Found

Rabies are most commonly found in these animals.

Keep Reading: