The USDA is dropping oral rabies vaccine packets in Franklin County through August 5. Learn what to do if you find one near your home in the Adirondacks.
The USDA Is Dropping Rabies Vaccine Packets in Northern Franklin County This Week
If you find small matchbox-sized packets in the woods over the next few days, leave them alone. They're not litter — they're oral rabies vaccines being distributed by the USDA to vaccinate raccoons, foxes, and coyotes in northern Franklin County.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services program is distributing the packets between July 31 and August 5, working with the New York State Department of Health to stop the spread of rabies in the region. The packets are coated with fishmeal flavoring to attract wildlife and can be dropped by airplane, helicopter, or vehicle.
Leave it alone unless it's somewhere children or pets play. If you need to move one, wear gloves or use a paper towel — toss intact packets into a wooded area, and bag and dispose of any damaged packets in the trash. Wash any skin that contacted a damaged packet with soap and water.
Don't panic. A few packets aren't harmful, though eating a large number may cause an upset stomach. Don't try to take a packet away from a pet — you risk getting bitten. Avoid your pet's saliva for 24 hours and wash any skin that's been licked. Check the surrounding area for more packets and move them to a wooded area.
Call the Rabies Information Line at 1-866-4-USDA-WS (1-866-487-3297), or Franklin County Public Health Services at (518) 481-1710. Franklin County Public Health posted the full details on their Facebook page.