Massachusetts will be taking action to vaccinate local wildlife against a strain of rabies recently discovered on the Cape. The United States Department of Agriculture is banding together with the Cape Cod and Southeast Massachusetts Rabies Task Force to tackle the issue.
The vaccines will be administered orally through baits distributed throughout the region. Although not toxic to pets, if encountered, the medicine should be left alone. If contact with the oral rabies vaccine occurs, the area of contact should be rinsed with warm water and soap, and the Massachusetts Department of Heath should be contacted.
The baits can cause an upset stomach if ingested by pets. The baits were distributed throughout the Cape late last month. Some was distributed by volunteers on the ground, and others were distributed through aerial operations. Low-flying government helicopters were seen spreading the medicine on several occasions. Over 100,000 baits total were to be distributed throughout Bourne, Mashpee, Sandwich, Falmouth, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Brewster, Harwich, Chatham, and Orleans. If you find these baits on the ground, keep pets and children away.
