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Oral Rabies Vaccination (ORV) Campaign Begins
Mosquito Surveillance Update
Lyme Disease Update
Bats in Camps
Rabies Media Campaign
World Mosquito Day
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Oral Rabies Vaccination Operation
July 29 - August 21
World Mosquito Day
August 20
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Ohio Department of Health
Zoonotic Disease Program
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246 N. High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
614-752-1029
Zoonoses@odh.ohio.gov
Visit the Zoonotic Disease Program Website
odh.ohio.gov/zdp
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Oral Rabies Vaccination (ORV) Campaign Begins | |
On July 29, 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services, in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and several Ohio local health departments began distributing an oral rabies vaccine bait by ground and aircraft to immunize wild raccoons in targeted cities and counties.
Baiting will occur in Ashtabula, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Geauga, Jefferson, Harrison, Lake, Mahoning, Portage, and Trumbull counties as well as the cities of Ashtabula, Boardman, Conneaut, East Palestine, Geneva, Hubbard, Lisbon, Poland, Struthers, Youngstown, and Warren.
Contingent on good weather, the operation should be completed by August 21, 2024. One rabies vaccine formulation, ONRAB® (Artemis Technologies), will be distributed this fall. ONRAB® is a recombinant rabies vaccine and does not contain live virus. The vaccine is contained in a polyvinyl chloride blister pack, covered in a waxy green coating containing vegetable fats, wax, and a sugar vanilla attractant.
Anyone coming in contact with a bait/vaccine, or whose pets or children have come into contact with a bait/vaccine should contact ODH at 1-888-574-6656. This number is also printed on the bait.
For more information about raccoon rabies and the vaccine bait, see the websites below:
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As of August 13, 2024, ODH has received 418,690 mosquitos from 66 local agencies in 55 counties for identification and testing. So far, 546 pooled samples have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) from jurisdictions in 31 counties: Carroll, Clark, Clermont, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Geauga, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Knox, Lake, Licking, Lorain, Medina, Meigs, Montgomery, Ottawa, Pike, Portage, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Union, Warren, and Wood.
A blue jay collected in Sandusky County has also tested positive for WNV.
While no human cases have yet been reported, mosquito infection rates are climbing, increasing the risk of human transmission. With the increased risk, consider increasing public health messaging about breeding source reduction and mosquito bite prevention.
For weekly updates on mosquito identifications and test results:
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As of August 13, 2024, 382 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Ohio from 53 counties. Over half (58%) of cases are male (221/382) with an age range from 1-85, median 32 years.
As cases of Lyme disease continue to rise as the summer progresses, remember to Be Tick Smart!
For more information about Lyme disease and what it means to Be Tick Smart:
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ODH, along with 30 local health jurisdictions, and 10 other state partners were involved in investigating a mass bat exposure at a camp in Richland County. This investigation involved conducting risk assessments for approximately 200 campers and camp staff. Ultimately, rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was recommended for 140 individuals. This was the largest mass bat exposure event in Ohio since 2006.
We want to thank all our partners for the time and effort they put into preparing our healthcare facilities, ensuring contact with everyone who attended the camp, and confirming those at risk received rabies PEP.
For more information on bat safety at campsites, please see CDC’s Bat Safety and Risk Management Guide.
For more information about rabies:
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Rabies Media Campaign
The Zoonotic Disease Program has launched a rabies media campaign expected to run through August. This media campaign focuses on four key messages: appreciating wildlife from a safe distance, reporting sick wildlife, vaccinating your pets against rabies, and the oral rabies vaccination operation.
Key messages will be displayed on billboards, social media, transit, gas station toppers, radio and audio streaming services across the state. Special messaging raising awareness of the current ORV operation will be displayed in counties where oral rabies vaccine baits are distributed.
Keep your eye out for our rabies messaging and don't forget to spread the word! If you see one of our messages from the media campaign, we'd love to see it: send it to us, or tag us in your social media posts!
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World Mosquito Day is observed every year on August 20 to commemorate Sir Ronald Ross' discovery that the female Anopheles mosquito transmits malaria between humans. Mosquitoes have a large global impact on public health and cause the death of more people than any other animal on the planet. For ideas on how you can educate the public about protecting themselves from mosquito bites visit World Mosquito Day.. | | | | | | |
