Rabies Task Force Continues to Push Baiting West

CCB MEDIA PHOTO: Brian Bjorklund, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, shows off the baits being used to vaccinate animals on the Cape, and now on the mainland side of the canal.

CCB MEDIA PHOTO: Brian Bjorklund, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, shows off the baits being used to vaccinate animals on the Cape, and now on the mainland side of the canal.

BOURNE – The Cape Cod Rabies Task Force begins rabies bating today on the mainland side of the Cape Cod Canal.

The fall program continues to push the baiting west as bait stations and hand baiting starts in Mainland Bourne, Plymouth, Kingston, Wareham, Marion, Rochester, Middleboro and Carver.

“What we have tried to do with the baiting is push it off Cape and that is where we have it right now,” said Erika Woods, task force co-chair and environmental specialist with the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment. “While we can’t be sure at any time that rabies does not exist, if we can keep it at a low enough level then it just drastically reduces any chance of contact.

The mainland received baiting this spring for the first time since 2003 as the Cape became the focus after rabies was discovered on the Cape in 2004.

After rabies spread across the Cape it has now been moved back to the Cape Cod Canal. There has not been a case of raccoon rabies east of Yarmouth since 2008 and there has not been a positive case on the Cape since 2013.

The task force has secured 72,000 baits to be distributed west of the canal.

Although the focus has shifted off the Cape, the task force will continue to bait a large area of Cape Cod.

“We’ll also be baiting from the canal through the Bass River and a little bit of Dennis just to make sure that we are vaccinating absolutely everything that we can before we start to pull off a little bit on the Cape to focus more on the off-Cape,” said Brian Bjorklund, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services.

About 39,000 baits will be distributed on the Cape. The Cape-side baiting will begin September 26 as bait stations will be filled in more populous areas. Hand baiting will begin on October 3 in less dense areas.

Anyone that finds a rabies vaccine or bait package is asked to use a glove or towel to pick it up and toss it into the woods where children and pets can’t get to it. If there is no suitable wooded area to put the bait, it should be disposed of in the trash.

Hands should be washed thoroughly after a bait is handled.

If a pet has eaten or had contact with a bait is should be reported to Bjorklund at 508-476-2956. The baits are not harmful to pets. The reported information is used to let those distributing the baits know that their baits may have not reached their targeted area.

The fishmeal coating may cause a pet to have an upset stomach.

Anyone that comes into contact with the liquid vaccine inside the bait should wash the area immediately and contact the Department of Public Health at 617-983-6800.

For more information on the program visit its new Facebook page by clicking here.

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