Here’s What the Government is Doing to Prevent the Spread of Rabies in Mississauga
Published August 19, 2019 at 11:24 pm
While Mississauga has lots of adorable wildlife, residents should always be cautious of rabid animals. To help prevent the spread of rabies, the government is going forward with its annual “bait drop.”
From August to October, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry will distribute rabies vaccine baits for wildlife via aircraft in rural areas and by hand in urban areas throughout Southern, Southwest and Eastern Ontario.
Between August 19 and September 6, 2019, baits will be spread in the areas of Brant, Elgin, Haldimand, Halton, Hamilton, Middlesex, Niagara, Norfolk, Oxford, Peel, Perth, Waterloo, and Wellington Counties.
These baits are not harmful to a pet or person if one consumed by mistake. However, contacting a doctor or veterinarian as a precaution would be recommended.
Rabies prevention is vital, as the disease proves fatal if a resident doesn’t receive immediate treatment.
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The khaki-green coloured bait is made of wax-fat with an attractant flavour (vanilla-sugar). A label with a toll-free telephone number (1-888-574-6656) and “Do not eat” are located on the exterior of the bait, and a plastic package containing the liquid rabies vaccine is embedded in the centre. If found, the bait should not be touched and instead be left for raccoons, skunks and foxes to consume.
Since the start of the rabies outbreak in 2015, the first of its kind in over a decade, the ministry has distributed over 4 million vaccine baits.
The program has seen great success over the years, with rabies cases declining in Ontario by approximately 50% each year since 2016.
You can find out more about rabies in Ontario here.
Photos courtesy of the Provincial Government
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