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Most of the 800,000 fishmeal encrusted rabies vaccine baits have been
dropped to the earth across a swath in West Virginia, after the aircraft was
grounded following the attack on America. The fly-overs continued last week
in Calhoun, Clay, Braxton, Roane and Gilmer, among others.
The drops are continuing this week in southern counties. The vaccine has
been successful in preventing the spread of rabies, and is mostly directed
toward raccoons which carries a fast-spreading strain of the disease. Most
of the counties receiving the drops are on the edge of the slow-moving
rabies outbreak in West Virginia.
State Agricultural Commissioner Gus Douglas said 3,500 southern raccoons
were imported to Pendleton and Pocahontas counties in the 1970's, which
jump-started the rabies strain to the area. "This shows you how you can get
in trouble importing non-native species to the area," he said.
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