ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WMAR) — This Thursday the Anne Arundel County Department of Health will begin its month long annual Raccoon Oral Rabies Vaccination Project.
Officials will be in neighborhoods all throughout the County placing down bait. They will be wearing Department of Health Shirts and driving County vehicles to identify themselves to residents.
Meanwhile, County police helicopters will be dropping the bait in less populated areas.
The bait according to the Department of Health comes in two types; one that looks like a ketchup packet with a light brown wax coating and the other that resembles a small brick.
Raccoon's become immunized when they bite into the vaccine packets.
The Health Department says the packets are not harmful to pets and cannot cause rabies. Officials do advise that people younger than 18, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system or chronic skin condition avoid contact with the vaccine.
Pet owners are also urged to keep their pets on a leash up until two weeks following the baiting period. It's recommended that if a pet does find the bait, that you carefully remove it from their mouth and call 410-222-1423 or 443-481-3140.
More information on the project can be found by clicking here.
