Source: WJHL
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), along with health departments in Tennessee and Virginia, is distributing oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia to curb the westward spread of rabies, particularly among raccoons. Starting April 2, the program will run for about two weeks, targeting areas like Carter, Greene, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties in Tennessee, as well as Washington, Russell, and Smyth counties in Virginia, including cities like Bristol, Elizabethton, Erwin, Johnson City, and Abingdon.
Over 400,000 baits will be distributed in Tennessee and 230,000 in Virginia using airplanes, helicopters, and vehicles. The bait’s scent attracts wildlife, which then consume it and become vaccinated. The USDA emphasizes that the vaccine is safe for animals, including pets, and cannot transmit rabies to humans or pets. People are urged not to touch the baits, but if contact occurs, to wash the area with soap and water.