10/04/2026
🦠🦝 🦠🦝 🦠🦊🦠🦨🦠🐕 Attention Autauga, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Dallas, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Jefferson, Marshall, St. Clair, Shelby, and Talladega counties: an oral rabies vaccine baiting program is being conducted in part to abate an emergency human health and safety issue associated with rabies, targeting raccoons and other wildlife.
The United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services program (USDA-WS) will distribute oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits in Alabama beginning on or about October 5th. Bait distribution in Alabama is part of a nationwide, cooperative effort by USDA to prevent the westward spread of raccoon rabies in the eastern United States. The baiting program is being conducted in part to abate an emergency human health and safety issue associated with rabies. Implementation of this program in Alabama is a cooperative effort between USDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Alabama Department of Health, and other agencies.
These baits will be distributed by low-flying airplanes and helicopters throughout an area that includes parts of counties: Autauga, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Dallas, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Jefferson, Marshall, St. Clair, Shelby, and Talladega counties. The aerial bait drop is expected to last for about a month.
The ORV baits to be aerially distributed over the majority of the bait zone are plastic packets of vaccine coated with an oily, fish-scented substance to attract raccoons and other rabies vector species. It is recommended that anyone who finds a bait leave it alone to allow wildlife to find it. However, if a bait is intact and out in the open, it can be tossed deeper into the woods or brush where a wild animal is more likely to find it. People should wear gloves or use a towel if it is necessary to handle baits and wash their hands afterward. Pet owners should not attempt to take baits away from their pets, as they may be bitten in the process and exposed to the vaccine. Although baits are not harmful to pets, ingestion of a large number of baits may cause temporary stomach upset. Anyone who comes in contact with the liquid vaccine contained within the bait should wash their hands immediately and contact their local health department for further guidance.
