MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Nine employees of the Monongalia County Health Department will distribute Oral Rabies Vaccine in green spaces around the city.
The health department has 1,080 baits to place at a cost of $1,566.
Areas that will be hand-baited are Green Bag Road, Richwood Avenue, South Park and the rail-trail from the water plant to University Motors.
MCHD program manager, Jon Welch said,”With the influx of rabid raccoons, we’re hoping to minimize the threat of rabid raccoons. It’s the first time in years we’ve hand-baited anything in Morgantown.
Also this week the U.S. Department of Agriculture will air-drop 49,000 baits throughout Monongalia County.
The last time air drops were done was in 2009.
Monongalia County was added to the program after 14 raccoons tested positive for rabies in the first six months of 2019.