Environmental Health Center

EnvironMinute Health Scripts

By air and by land veterinarians and biologists have put a halt on the northward spread of raccoon rabies. A new strategy for vaccination creates barrier zones free of rabies. We'll take you to the front lines on today's Environminute. [:12]

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The first case of raccoon rabies was discovered in Florida in 1947. It's spread all the way to Maine since then. The progression of rabies into the northern states reached epidemic levels in this decade. But now a new barrier zone strategy developed by the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine could stop raccoon rabies in its tracks. Oral vaccines are dropped from airplanes into areas where raccoon rabies has yet to strike. The vaccine is concealed in bait that is distributed both by aircraft and by hand into raccoon populated areas. So far, the barrier zone plan seems to work. The next challenge is to use it across state and international borders. [:37]

The EnvironMinute is produced in cooperation with the National Safety Council and made possible by the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation. [:10]

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