The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will distribute nearly 700,000 oral rabies vaccines across North Georgia, including metro Atlanta, in response to rising rabies cases. FOX 5 Atlanta reported the airdrops will take place tomorrow until Wednesday and Tuesday next week to October 28 using helicopters and airplanes, targeting raccoons, which are common carriers of the virus.
Additional vaccine drops will occur in Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, according to Newsweek. The vaccines, called RABORAL V-RG, are coated in fishmeal and packaged in plastic sachets for wildlife consumption. Residents are advised not to handle the baits.
Rabies is a virus affecting the nervous system, with raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes as typical transmitters. Newsweek noted that in 2022, raccoons accounted for most rabies cases in Alabama (25), Georgia (65), and North Carolina (100), while skunks were more commonly infected in Tennessee.
USDA APHIS provides an interactive website to track vaccine distribution in real time. Officials remind pet owners to keep vaccinations current and avoid contact with wild animals to help prevent the spread of rabies.
