Wildlife Services, a program within the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, will distribute oral rabies vaccine baits beginning on or about Aug. 28 to prevent the spread of raccoon rabies in portions of western and northern New York. Another baiting program is under way in 14 western Pennsylvania counties.

In cooperation with the New York State Department of Health and key agencies, 845,200 oral rabies vaccination (ORV) baits targeting raccoons will be distributed by several methods over a 5,180 square mile area.

The Pennsylvania effort covers all or parts of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.

Personnel from Wildlife Services and its cooperators, along with volunteers, will be hand baiting populated areas by vehicle. Fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters will be sued to distribute ORV baits over more rural areas