Harford County is releasing 15,000+ rabies vaccine baits for raccoons. Here's what you need to know.

HARFORD COUNTY, Md. — The Harford County Health Department is launching a program aimed at immunizing thousands of wild raccoons to help prevent the spread of rabies.

The Oral Rabies Vaccination Program will place more than 15,000 baits containing the Raboral V-RG vaccine throughout the county. The vaccine is a live virus vaccine but cannot cause rabies and is not harmful to raccoons, pets, or other animals.

The vaccine has been used successfully in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, since 1998 and in more than 10 other states to control raccoon rabies.

The baits come in two forms: a small brown brick containing a packet of liquid rabies vaccine and a condiment-style packet coated with a waxy fishmeal attractant. Both are made of fishmeal and polymers. A raccoon must bite into the packet to be vaccinated. Ground teams will distribute the baits in likely raccoon habitats throughout Harford County parks and neighborhoods using marked state vehicles.

Rabies is a fatal viral disease spread through the bites or scratches of infected animals, or when their saliva comes into contact with a person or animal's eyes, nose, mouth, or open wound. While pets can be vaccinated against rabies, people exposed to the disease must undergo a costly series of shots. Rabies remains a significant public health threat because rabid animals can come into contact with people and their pets.

While the vaccine presents a low risk to human health, the bait should not be handled by anyone who is under 18 years old, pregnant, immunocompromised, or has a chronic skin condition. Because the bait's high-fat attractant may cause stomach irritation in dogs, cats, and ferrets, pet owners are encouraged to keep pets confined or on a leash during the baiting period and for two weeks after.

Anyone who comes into contact with the bait should call the Harford County Health Department at 410-877-2300.

For more information, visit harfordcountyhealth.com/oral-rabies-vaccination-project.

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