The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry announced the plan for their annual rabies control operations - to reach wild raccoons, skunks and foxes and prevent further spread of raccoon and fox strain rabies in the province.
Ontario had been free of raccoon strain rabies for over ten years and fox strain for two, but since December 2015 seventy-six raccoon rabies cases have been reported.
Rabies control activities for the 2016 spring season include:
- Aerial baiting in a small area of Perth County – projected to start April 1
- Aerial baiting in the Golden Horseshoe area – projected to start April 1 and be completed by the end of April
- Hand baiting of urban areas – projected to start April 4 and continue throughout the spring and early summer
- Control measures at the point of infection – only to take place in the event of a raccoon or ‘Ontario fox strain’ rabies incident.
Summer management activities include:
- Aerial baiting in a small area in eastern Ontario along the St. Lawrence River and ground baiting (within urban areas if required) – scheduled for mid-August
- Aerial baiting within a 50 km radius of confirmed raccoon strain rabies cases - scheduled for mid-August
- Ground and aerial urban and rural baiting in Niagara area – scheduled for late August
- Aerial baiting within a 50 km radius of confirmed fox strain rabies cases - scheduled for mid-September
- Control measures at the point of infection – only to take place in the event of a raccoon or ‘Ontario fox strain’ rabies incident.
The khaki-green coloured bait being dropped from the aircraft has a label with a toll-free telephone number (1-888-574-6656) and “Do not eat” warning on the exterior of the bait. A plastic package containing the liquid rabies vaccine is embedded in the centre. If found, the bait should not be touched, but left for raccoons, skunks and foxes to consume.
For more information you are encouraged to visit the Rabies in Ontario website or contact the rabies hotline at 1-888-574-6656.
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