By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – The Erie County Health Department is once again conducting a rabies vaccine airdrop.
The airdrop began Tuesday with a helicopter distributing the vaccine in large residential areas of the county. Health Commissioner Anthony Billittier says vaccine-laden bait will be dropped along shorelines, streambeds and power line right-of-ways. An airplane will be used to distribute the bait in rural areas later this month.
Billittier says raccoons will be captured in selected areas to determine the impact of the rabies airdrop. He says the bait is not harmful to people or pets.
Billittier asks the public not to disturb any bait they come across. He says immunizing the wild raccoon population will decrease rabies exposure to people and their pets.