HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The rabies vaccine is literally raining down from the sky in north Alabama.
The Alabama Department of Public Health and the US Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services Division on Monday began airdropping rabies vaccine pills from planes and helicopters in 10 north Alabama counties, according to a report by local NBC affiliate WAFF. The 10 counties include Blount, Cherokee, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Limestone, Madison, Marshall and Morgan.
Public health officials say the the oral rabies vaccine is being dropped in rural areas in hopes that rabid raccoons will consume the pills, and therefore reduce the risk of passing rabies to people or other animals. Workers are also distributing the vaccine on foot in some cities, including Huntsville.
North Alabama residents are being encouraged to wear gloves and remove any pills they find in their yards, although they do not pose any threat to pets. They should be easy to identify. The plastic bags containing the pills emit a terrible odor because are they’re covered with fishmeal crumbs to attract animals.
The Alabama air drop is part of a national program to stop the spread of rabies.
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— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) June 9, 2015
