The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to combat the spread of rabies in Western North Carolina. Starting this week, Wildlife Services will distribute oral rabies vaccine baits for raccoons, an annual program typically conducted each fall but delayed in 2024 due to Hurricane Helene.
"Rabies is a deadly but preventable disease, and this program plays a critical role in protecting both public health and animal populations across North Carolina," stated Carl Williams, DVM, State Public Health Veterinarian. He emphasized that vaccinating wildlife like raccoons creates a barrier to halt the virus's spread, safeguarding people, pets, and communities.
From April 2, 2025, the vaccine baits will be aerially distributed across 17 counties: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey. Additional hand baiting is scheduled in Buncombe County from April 3-9, weather permitting.
The baits, designed to attract raccoons, consist of a plastic packet containing the vaccine, coated with fishmeal or encased in matchbox-sized fishmeal-polymer blocks. When a raccoon bites the bait, the packet ruptures, exposing the animal to the vaccine, which triggers an immune response to protect against rabies. While safe for domestic dogs and cats, the vaccine is only approved for raccoons and coyotes. Pet owners are reminded that North Carolina law mandates rabies vaccinations for domestic pets by four months of age, administered by a veterinarian.
If individuals contact the liquid vaccine, they should wash the area with soap and water and call the number on the bait for further guidance. Rabies, most prevalent in wild animals in North Carolina, poses a risk to humans and pets through encounters with infected wildlife. Bites from wild animals require immediate medical attention for a rabies risk assessment, as post-exposure prophylaxis can prevent infection if administered promptly. Once symptoms appear, rabies is nearly always fatal in mammals, including humans.
The NC Wildlife Resources Commission encourages the public to report sick or dead wild animals to the NC Wildlife Helpline at 1-866-318-2401 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) or via email at HWI@ncwildlife.org. The baiting effort is expected to conclude by the end of April 2025.
Initiated in the 1990s, the USDA’s Oral Rabies Vaccination program aims to prevent raccoon rabies from spreading west of the Appalachian Mountains, where it is currently absent. The program’s success has fueled ambitions to gradually shift the vaccine barrier eastward, with the ultimate goal of eliminating raccoon rabies entirely. For more details, visit the National Rabies Management Program webpage or the NCDHHS Division of Public Health website.
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