Rabies vaccines to be dropped in Wellington-Dufferin

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestryis beginning to droprabies vaccine packs in Wellington and Dufferin County, to reduce the risk of rabies in wildlife.

The ministry startedto distribute vaccine baits byhandin urban areas, including in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelpharea, inmid July. That willcontinueuntil October. In forested and agricultural areas, bait will be dropped by helicopter until the end of August.

• By land and by air: Province gears up for summer rabies fight
• Skunk tests positive for rabies in Wellesley Township

Hundreds of raccoons and skunks in Ontario have tested positive for rabies inthe last 18 months, according toa news release fromWellington-Dufferin-GuelphPublic Health onMonday.

As of July 25, there have been 343 cases of raccoon rabies strainand 10 cases of fox strain in Ontario.

Recently, a skunk found near Wallensteintested positive for rabies in early July, according toRegion of Waterloo public health officials. A rabid fox was also found in the same area in May.

No animals have tested positive for rabies in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph area so far this year.

Baits should not be touched

Rabies is found in the saliva of an infected animal and can be spread to other animals ifa bite breaks the skin, or if the infected animal's saliva gets into an open wound.

However, when an animal bites into the bait and swallows enough of the vaccine, it should develop immunity to rabies in two weeks, said public health.

Though the vaccine baits are not harmful to people or pets, public health saidbaits should not be touched or moved unless they are in an area where children play.

In that case, they recommend picking it up with a plastic bag and droppingthe bait to a suitable area.