El Paso expands rabies prevention efforts through new wildlife vaccination partnership
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)--The Texas Department of State Health Services is expanding rabies prevention efforts in the El Paso area by partnering with local agencies to strengthen protection for wildlife, pets and residents.
State health officials have conducted oral rabies vaccination campaigns in the region for years, but this year El Paso Animal Services is joining the effort by assisting with a method known as hand baiting.
The process involves placing oral rabies vaccines in areas with frequent wildlife activity. The vaccine packets are coated in fish oil and other materials to attract animals such as coyotes and foxes. Officials often refer to the baits as “cookies.”
“It’s a very exciting collaborative effort that we really want to take part in,” said Gina Ramirez, animal protection field manager with El Paso Animal Services. “It’s just to protect our community, our pets, and to make sure that we continue this effort every year.”
The rabies prevention program in El Paso began around 2008. This year, officials hope to distribute more than 4,500 oral vaccine baits across designated areas.
“Hand baiting pretty much is every 10 to 15 steps in designated areas that we have seen high volumes of coyotes or foxes, we will be dropping a cookie,” Ramirez said.
The Texas Department of State Health Services is now providing training to additional organizations after Arizona and New Mexico reported cases of the fox variant of rabies.
“It’s incredibly fortunate in El Paso that we haven’t seen what’s called a terrestrial case of rabies in over 30 years,” said Susan Schaff, a regional veterinarian for the department. “That’s rabies spread by a terrestrial animal like a fox or a coyote.”
Officials say wildlife such as coyotes, foxes, bats and skunks can carry rabies and pose a risk if they come into contact with household pets.
Residents are urged to contact 311 immediately if they encounter an animal that appears sick, injured or is behaving abnormally, as it may be infected with rabies.
