BECKLEY, W.Va. — Amid growing concern over the spread of rabies-infected raccoons in West Virginia, another airborne drop of vaccine is planned this summer, blanketing portions of three states.
While the state Department of Agriculture prepares to take part in the mission, the Division of Natural Resources has moved to deny new wildlife permits for raccoon, fox and skunk.
“The decision to deny new applications for wildlife pet permits for raccoon, fox and skunk has been made, following careful deliberation and with concurrence from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and West Virginia Bureau for Public Health,” Director Frank Jezioro said.
All mammals are susceptible to the rabies virus, Jezioro said, but raccoon, skunk and fox are deemed high risk wildlife species.
Within two decades since it surfaced, the mid-Atlantic raccoon rabies epizootic has spread quickly and over a large area across northeastern states.
Which explains why state officials are cooperating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in dropping oral rabies vaccine in special fishmeal baits.
Buddy Davidson, communications officer for the state department, said the vaccination zone this year has been shifted 5 miles.
More than 1.7 million fish treats laced with the vaccine will be dropped across parts of western Maryland, central West Virginia, and southwestern Virginia, he said Monday.
“We definitely have a serious problem here, as does a large portion of the eastern United States,” Davidson said.
“It’s not just limited to West Virginia. In fact, the program is a regional one. The idea is to halt the westward movement of rabies which started up east. It’s been moving south and southeast pretty steadily.”
While any mammal can contract the disorder, Davidson said the incidence in raccoons has proven to be “substantial.”
“We’re focusing on that raccoon strain to try to slow it down,” he said.
Raccoons are familiar sights in city areas, foraging for food around garbage cans around homes, he acknowledged.
“And that certainly increases possibility of disease to humans,” he said.
“Very much so, that’s a problem. That’s really why the focus of the program is not on raccoon health. It’s human health.”
Twenty-four counties in West Virginia are being targeted for the bait drops.
Mannix Porterfield writes for The Register-Herald in Beckley, W.Va.
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