Erie County Legislator Michael H. Ranzenhofer (R-Clarence) announced today that the Erie County Department of Health, in conjunction with the Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University, will be continuing its aggressive raccoon rabies vaccination initiative with a helicopter-baiting component beginning this week.

"Rabies is a very serious disease, that can easily be spread in both populated and rural areas," said Ranzenhofer. "By immunizing the raccoon population, the exposure of residents and their pets to rabies can be limited and controlled."

Beginning Tuesday, July 27, a helicopter will begin to drop rabies vaccine packets along shorelines, streambeds, and power line rights-of-way throughout Erie County. In selected areas, raccoons will be captured in wire cages after the baits are distributed to assess vaccination success and to determine the portion of animals that successfully ingested the baits.

"It is important to stress that the baits are not harmful to people, pets, or wildlife," Ranzenhofer continued. "The baits consist of fishmeal, a wax binder, and fish oil. The vaccine chamber in the center of the bait is filled with an oral rabies vaccine that is licensed for use against raccoon rabies in the United States and Canada."

Ranzenhofer noted, however, that that any resident exposed to bait or vaccine, or whose pet eats a bait or brings a bait home, should call 1-888-715-7785 to report the occurrence.

"Research is essential to make this program run as smoothly as possible," Ranzenhofer concluded. "It is important for the Department of Health to know if domestic animals are attracted to a specific type of bait."