Full Notification

Oral Rabies Vaccine Field Evaluation in West Virginia, August 5 – 31, 2023
 
West Virginia will once again be taking part in a nationally coordinated effort to halt the spread of raccoon rabies in 13 states. In addition to the oral rabies vaccine (ORV) bait RABORAL V-RG, ongoing field evaluation involving distribution of a new ORV bait called ONRAB will occur in portions of Barbour, Brooke, Doddridge, Greenbrier, Fayette, Hancock, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Marshall, McDowell, Mercer, Monongalia, Nicholas, Ohio, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Randolph, Summers, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Webster, Wetzel, and Wyoming counties in West Virginia. Helicopter distribution will take place in West Virginia from approximately August 5 – 8, 2023, while fixed-wing and hand distribution of baits will take place from August 8 - 31, 2023.
 
Rabies is a serious public health concern because if left untreated it is invariably fatal. Costs associated with detection, prevention and control of rabies conservatively exceed $500 million annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, greater than 90 percent of reported rabies cases in the United States are in wildlife. The cooperative USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) was established in 1997 to prevent the further spread of wildlife rabies in the United States by containing and eventually eliminating the virus in terrestrial mammals. The majority of the NRMP efforts are focused on controlling raccoon rabies, which continues to account for most of the reported wildlife rabies cases in the U.S. Raccoon rabies occurs in all states east of the established ORV zone that extends from Maine to northeastern Ohio to central Alabama. Continued access to oral vaccine and bait options that are effective in all target wildlife species remains critical to long term success.
 
The ONRAB oral rabies vaccine is currently experimental in the U.S., and since 2011 the NRMP has worked with Federal, State and local partners to test the safety, immunogenicity and effectiveness of this ORV bait in seven eastern states (NH, NY, OH, PA, TN, VT, WV). ONRAB (produced by Artemis Technologies Inc., an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ceva Sante Animale S.A., Guelph, Ontario, Canada) has been successfully integrated into comprehensive rabies control programs that resulted in elimination of raccoon rabies from Canada. Data from ongoing field evaluation in the U.S. will lead to licensing of this vaccine for broader, more aggressive management of raccoon rabies by the NRMP and partners, with the goal of eliminating the variant of the rabies virus that cycles in raccoons.
 
The ONRAB bait consists of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blister pack, containing the vaccine. To make the baits attractive, the blister packs are coated with a sweet attractant that includes vegetable-based fats, wax, icing sugar, vegetable oil, artificial marshmallow flavor, and dark-green food-grade dye. Humans and pets cannot get rabies from contact with the bait. However, people who encounter baits directly are asked to leave the bait undisturbed. Should contact with bait occur, immediately rinse the contact area with warm water and soap and contact your local health department at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Please do not attempt to remove a bait from your dog’s mouth. The bait will not harm the dog. If you have additional questions related to the field evaluation please contact the West Virginia Wildlife Services office in Elkins, WV at (304) 636-1785.