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Tag Archives: Wildlife
Grizzly bears test positive for bird flu in Montana, officials say
CNN
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Three grizzly bears were euthanized in Montana after they became ill and tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, according to the state’s Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
These were the first documented cases of bird flu in a grizzly in Montana and the first nationwide for this outbreak of HPAI, according to Dr. Jennifer Ramsey, the department’s wildlife veterinarian.
The juvenile bears were in three separate locations in the western part of the state during the fall, the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks said in a statement.
The bears “were observed to be in poor condition and exhibited disorientation and partial blindness, among other neurological issues,” the statement said. “They were euthanized due to their sickness and poor condition.”
Avian influenza – commonly called bird flu – is a naturally occurring virus that spreads quickly in birds. There were documented cases of HPAI in a skunk and a fox in Montana last year, and the virus has been seen in raccoons, black bears and a coyote in other states and countries, according to the Montana agency.
“The virus is spread from one bird to another,” Dr. Ramsey told CNN via email. “These mammals likely got infected from consuming carcasses of HPAI infected birds.”
“Fortunately, unlike avian cases, generally small numbers of mammal cases have been reported in North America,” Ramsey said. “For now, we are continuing to test any bears that demonstrate neurologic symptoms or for which a cause of death is unknown.”
While finding three grizzlies with bird flu in a short period of time may raise concerns, Ramsey said it may well be that there have been more cases that haven’t been detected.
“When wildlife mortalities occur in such small numbers or individuals, and in species like skunks, foxes and bears that don’t spend a lot of time in situations where they are highly visible to the public, they can be hard to detect,” the wildlife veterinarian said.
“When you get that first detection you tend to start looking harder, and you’re more likely to find new cases,” she said. “When a large number of birds are found dead on a body of water, it gets noticed and reported… when someone sees a dead skunk, they may think nothing of it and not report it.”
While it’s unknown just how prevalent the virus is in wild birds, “we know that the virus is active basically across the entire state due to the wide distribution of cases of HPAI mortality in some species of wild birds,” Ramsey said.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in November the country was approaching “a record number of birds affected compared to previous bird flu outbreaks,” with more than 49 million birds in 46 states dying or being killed due to exposure to infected birds.
Human infections with bird flu are rare but are possible, “usually after close contact with infected birds. The current risk to the general public from bird flu viruses is low,” the CDC says on its website.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks is asking people to report any birds or animals acting “unusual or unexplained cases of sickness and/or death.”
Highly pathogenic avian flu: New strain kills hundreds of snow geese in Colorado
CNN
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A new strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza – commonly called bird flu – has killed around 1,600 snow geese in two separate areas of Colorado since November, according to state wildlife officials.
Unlike prior strains of the disease in North America, this strain is “causing widespread mortality in some species of wild birds, particularly in snow geese, raptors, and vultures,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Bill Vogrin said in a statement to CNN on Monday.
The agency began receiving reports of sick and dead snow geese in northeastern Colorado in late 2022, the statement said. It documented over 1,000 deaths on several waterways in Morgan and Logan counties.
Then officials heard of “large-scale mortalities” in the southeastern portion of the state.
“There was a die-off of approximately 600 snow geese at John Martin Reservoir,” the statement said, noting lower die-offs at surrounding reservoirs.
After highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in a certain species and county, the wildlife department will not test additional birds of that species within that county until the next season – but additional deaths are still counted, the statement said.
Birds carrying the disease can carry it to new areas when migrating, potentially exposing domestic poultry to the virus, the US Department of Agriculture says.
Svalbard reindeer thrive as they shift diet towards ‘popsicle-like’ grasses | Wildlife
As the Arctic warms, concern for the plight of Santa’s favourite sleigh pullers is mounting. But in one small corner of the far flung north – Svalbard – Rudolph and his friends are thriving.
Warmer temperatures are boosting plant growth and giving Svalbard reindeer more time to build up fat reserves; they also appear to be shifting their diets towards “popsicle-like” grasses that poke up through the ice and snow, data suggests.
Smaller and plumper than their Lapplandish cousins, yet boasting impressive antlers nonetheless, Svalbard reindeer inhabit almost all non-glaciated areas of the Svalbard archipelago, which sits just 500 miles (800km) from the North Pole.
Like other Arctic regions, Svalbard has experienced thicker snowfall, and more frequent rain-on-snow events – where rain falls on an existing snowpack and freezes – in recent years, making it harder for reindeer to dig for food.
Reports of mass reindeer starvations in Russia, and declining caribou populations in Canada and Alaska, have also prompted concern for Svalbard’s reindeer. Yet, in the most productive parts of the archipelago, reindeer populations have flourished in recent decades.
To investigate what might be driving the population increase, Tamara Hiltunen, a doctoral student at the University of Oulu in Finland, and her colleagues turned to annual blood samples collected in late winter as part of a long-term monitoring study. By comparing the proportion of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in these samples, they could infer what kinds of plants the reindeer had been eating in preceding weeks.
The research, published in Global Change Biology, suggested that between 1995 and 2012 – a period marked by the normalisation of rain-on-snow events, increased summer temperatures and a growing reindeer population – there was a dietary shift away from low-growing mosses and towards grass-like “graminoid” plants.
“The erect nature of the graminoid stems allows that forage to be available to the animals, even though you might have a centimetre or so of ice,” said Prof Jeffrey Welker at the University of Oulu, who supervised the research. “You have the equivalent of popsicle sticks, which are nutritious enough that those animals can sustain themselves, even during these stressful periods of winter.”
Higher soil temperatures and greater amounts of reindeer droppings and urine falling on the ground are also boosting the growth of graminoids, which may further benefit the Svalbard reindeer.
“This is definitely encouraging news,” said Prof Jaakko Putkonen at the University of North Dakota, whose research previously predicted an increase in Arctic regions affected by rain as the century wears on. “However, nature is an endless web of interdependent variables. Some of the upcoming changes may be good to the reindeer and some may be detrimental.
“For example, from Scandinavia there are reports of rain on snow promoting the growth of fungi (eg toxic moulds) under the snowpack due to warmer conditions which has led the reindeer to avoid those areas. They may be trading one challenge for another one.”
Welker also cautioned that events in Svalbard may not apply to other regions of the Arctic.
“Just as we see signs that a reindeer population on Svalbard might have some ways of adapting and adjusting to these changes, that could allow them to sustain themselves, we’ve got other groups in Alaska, for instance, that are declining.
“It really speaks to the complexity of the Arctic. Events that are happening in one place are not identical to those that are happening in others.”
However, for Svalbard’s reindeer, the future looks bright – and the archipelago a promising recruitment ground should Santa need further helpers. Given their diminutive size, though, he may need to invest in a smaller sleigh.
“I’m sure they could do it, they just might be a little bit obese,” said Hiltunen. “But maybe if they lived with Santa, they wouldn’t need so much fat to keep themselves alive.”
P-22, Los Angeles’ famous mountain lion, has been euthanized
CNN
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P-22, a mountain lion who has spent years in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, has been euthanized after likely suffering injuries in a “vehicle strike,” officials say.
The big cat made made headlines last month after he attacked and killed a resident’s leashed chihuahua. He was captured by authorities on Monday, who used GPS data from his tracking collar to locate and anesthetize him.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife made the decision to euthanize P-22 after a “comprehensive medical evaluation,” according to a news release Saturday.
The department said the “compassionate euthanasia” was unanimously recommended by the medical team at San Diego Zoo Safari Park and conducted under general anesthesia.
P-22 was given an “extensive evaluation” which “showed significant trauma to the mountain lion’s head, right eye and internal organs, confirming the suspicion of recent injury, such as a vehicle strike,” said the department. “The trauma to his internal organs would require invasive surgical repair.”
The 12-year old mountain lion also had “significant pre-existing illnesses, including irreversible kidney disease, chronic weight loss, extensive parasitic skin infection over his entire body and localized arthritis,” according to the release.
He was in poor health overall and “may also have had additional underlying conditions not yet fully characterized by diagnostics,” said the department.
Officials will not be seeking information on P-22’s possible run-in with a vehicle, they added.
“This situation is not the fault of P-22, nor of a driver who may have hit him,” wrote the department. “Rather, it is an eventuality that arises from habitat loss and fragmentation, and it underscores the need for thoughtful construction of wildlife crossings and well-planned spaces that provide wild animals room to roam.”
P-22 become a Los Angeles celebrity when he was photographed beneath the iconic Hollywood sign by a camera trap. The image was featured in the December 2013 issue of National Geographic.
The mountain lion even had his own Facebook and Instagram pages, where fans left heartfelt messages on Saturday.
P-22 also made headlines for breaching a 9-foot fence at the Los Angeles Zoo and mauling a koala in 2016.
Officials throughout California issued statements marking the mountain lion’s death, including Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“P-22’s survival on an island of wilderness in the heart of Los Angeles captivated people around the world and revitalized efforts to protect our diverse native species and ecosystems,” Newsom said in a news release.
Newsom’s father was a founder of the Mountain Lion Foundation and championed permanent protections for the species, according to the release.
“The iconic mountain lion’s incredible journey helped inspire a new era of conserving and reconnecting nature, including through the world’s largest wildlife overpass in Liberty Canyon,” Newsom added. “With innovative coalitions and strategies to restore vital habitat across the state, we’ll continue working to protect California’s precious natural heritage for generations to come.”
Earlier this year construction on a wildlife crossing spanning 10 lanes along Highway 101 began, with the hopes of creating a safer way for animals to roam in the region. In addition, Newsom promised $50 million for other similar projects throughout the state.
Beth Pratt, the California regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, also remembered the mountain lion in an emotional news release. She said it is “hard to imagine I will be writing about P-22 in the past tense now,” and expressed hope that future California mountain lions would be able to roam safely.
“Thank you for the gift of knowing you, P-22. I’ll miss you forever,” Pratt said. “But I will never stop working to honor your legacy, and although we failed you, we can at least partly atone by making the world safer for your kind.”
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated when authorities captured P-22. He was captured on Monday.
BC SPCA urging people to take down bird feeders as avian flu spreads
The BC SPCA is urging the public to take down their bird feeders, as avian influenza continues to spread rapidly through wild bird populations.
Along with well-reported outbreaks in both small and commercial poultry flocks, the SPCA says the virus has been confirmed in wild birds in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and Northern regions of B.C.
The virus can be deadly to birds, and the organization warned it puts birds including great horned owls, bald eagles, great blue herons, ducks and geese, and even crows at risk.
Read more:
Avian flu in Canada: Everything you need to know
Read More
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Avian flu in Canada: Everything you need to know
“The number of confirmed positive cases is just the very tip of the iceberg,” BC SPCA manager of wild animal welfare Andrea Wallace said in a media release.
“The number of suspected cases – alive or deceased – far exceeds the capacity to test the animals. In addition, many animals that pass away in the wild are never recovered.”
The organization is calling on people to remove seed and suet bird feeders, in order to discourage birds from gathering and potentially spreading the disease.
Bird feeders, it says, create “unnatural congregations” of birds who can pass the virus to one another, or contract it from other birds droppings on the ground underneath the feeder as they forage for fallen seed.
It’s also urging not to keep feeders or duck ponds near poultry barns, warning they can help the virus spread between domestic and wild birds.
The virus is resilient and can survive in the wild for several months, according to the BC SPCA. Anyone who visits an area where birds congregate or is in contact with wild birds should clean and disinfect their shoes, and thoroughly wash their clothes, it said.
Read more:
British Columbians asked to remove bird feeders due to avian flu outbreak
Birds that are sick with avian influenza may appear lethargic, unusually “fluffed up,” have nasal discharge, coughing and/or sneezing, diarrhea, or have excessively watery eyes or swelling of the head, neck and eyes, the BC SPCA said.
If you see a suspected sick bird, you can call the SPCA at 1-855-622-7722 for advice about what to do or how to find a local wildlife rehabilitation centre.
Sick or dead wild birds can also be reported to the B.C. Wild Bird Mortality Investigation Protocol & Avian Influenza Surveillance Program at 1-866-431-BIRD (2473)
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
2.500 dead seals found on Russia’s Caspian coast
MOSCOW — About 2,500 seals have been found dead on the Caspian Sea coast in southern Russia, officials said Sunday.
Authorities in the Russian province of Dagestan said it was unclear why the mass die-off happened but that it was likely due to natural causes.
Regional officials initially reported Saturday that 700 dead seals were found on the coast, but the Dagestan division of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment later raised the figure to about 2,500.
Zaur Gapizov, head of the Caspian Environmental Protection Center, said in a statement that the seals likely died a couple of weeks ago. He added that there was no sign that they were killed or caught in fishing nets.
Experts of the Federal Fisheries Agency and prosecutors inspected the coastline and collected data for laboratory research, which didn’t immediately spot any pollutants.
Several previous incidents of mass seal deaths were attributed to natural causes. Kazakhstan, which has a long Caspian coastline, reported at least three such incidents this year.
Data about the number of seals in the Caspian vary widely. The fisheries agency has said the overall number of Caspian seals is 270,000-300,000, while the Caspian Environmental Protection Center put the number at 70,000.
Bird-flu outbreak hits Oregon; wildlife officials say ‘it’s definitely serious’
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in both wild birds and backyard flocks has killed thousands of birds throughout the state, Oregon wildlife and agriculture officials say.
The disease, typically known as bird flu, has been detected in almost every county in Oregon. Its current strain is especially deadly for wild birds, which are dying in larger numbers than during previous outbreaks.
The number of backyard flocks – which include chickens, ducks and other domesticated birds – that have been impacted also has been much larger than in recent outbreaks. While turkeys are especially susceptible to the disease, only a handful have died locally since Oregon isn’t a turkey producing state, officials said.
Sick birds act like they are drunk. They’re uncoordinated and lethargic; they shake, swim in circles and fly into the sides of houses. Those that show symptoms usually die within 72 hours.
“It’s definitely serious,” said Ryan Scholz, state veterinarian with the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
Bird-flu viruses occur naturally in the environment, and avian influenza doesn’t always cause mortality or even illness in birds. Some birds, like mallard ducks, have developed immunity to the disease, even its highly pathogenic strains. They suffer no symptoms, but they spread the disease, most commonly through feces.
The virus typically arrives to the U.S. from Europe or Eurasia, carried by the waterfowl that fly thousands of miles. The birds spread the disease each time they touch down to rest.
Deadlier strains of bird flu have been on the rise in recent years. Highly pathogenic avian influenza has devastated wild birds and the poultry industry across the globe. The virus is now endemic in Europe and Asia.
This year may prove even deadlier than usual. The virus typically peters out with dry and hot weather, as low pathogenic strains of the disease naturally outcompete it. That happened in 2014-15, the last major outbreak in the U.S. in domestic birds.
But birds did not stop getting sick this summer in the Pacific Northwest. They continued to die during the hottest months and well into the fall – an anomaly to how the virus usually operates.
In recent weeks, wild birds have been getting sick and dying from the Fernhill Wetlands in Forest Grove to the Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge to the Willamette Valley Wildlife Refuges. It’s impossible to know exactly how many wild birds have been impacted, said Colin Gillin, State Wildlife Veterinarian.
“If I said it was in the thousands, it would be an under-estimate,” Gillin said.
About 17 percent of waterfowl that’s been tested have registered positive for the disease, which is “a substantial number,” Gillin said. The species currently most affected is cackling geese, but the disease is also killing numerous bald eagles, hawks, owls and herons.
Songbirds and wild turkeys have not been impacted, Gillin said, because they don’t typically interact with waterfowl and aren’t a scavenger species.
There’s also concern for snow geese after nearly 400 sick or dead geese were found at Wiser Lake in western Washington state a few days ago and several tested positive for avian flu. Many of the dead birds were snow geese. Those birds are just starting to arrive in Oregon, so many more could die in coming weeks in our state, Gillin said.
In other states, avian influenza also has been detected in mammals such as skunks, foxes and coyotes — usually in younger animals.
The disease does not pose a high risk to humans, though some have been infected with bird flu viruses. Still, it’s a mutating disease, officials said, so hunters should wear protective gear like masks and gloves to safely handle wild birds, and they should change clothes when they get home. Hunters should not kill birds that look sick. They also should minimize dogs’ interactions with waterfowl.
Some hunters worry whether the die-offs will impact duck- and goose-hunting seasons, which are now open.
“I’m seeing quite a few dead geese on Sauvie Island and quite a few sick ones as well,” local hunter Eric Strand said via email.
But Brandon Reishus, Oregon’s migratory bird coordinator, said it’s too early to predict. “We have no plans to close hunting down. But it’s an evolving situation.”
The Oregon Department of Agriculture said 16 cases have been confirmed this year in smaller flocks of domesticated birds. That’s a significant increase from the two confirmed cases in 2014-2015 outbreak, said Scholz, the Department of Agriculture veterinarian. More flocks are being tested after an uptick in calls over the past week.
About two thousand domesticated birds have been euthanized or died of avian flu in Oregon this year in reported cases, said Scholz. Some backyard flock owners only use birds or their eggs for home consumption, while others have hundreds of birds and sell their products to the public. The state has imposed several avian flu quarantines this summer and fall to prevent the sale of meat or eggs from virus-impacted areas.
There have been no cases reported in commercial farms – farms with much larger flocks that often are raised in large barns — likely because they have strict biosecurity measures, Scholz said.
The sick flocks have ranged from 4 to 500 in size. The bigger the flocks, the more birds die quickly – so the risk of the disease to larger farms is significant. In the case of one large backyard farm with about 400 chickens, Scholz said, the birds started dying on Saturday and by Monday there were “barrels of dead birds.” Agricultural officials had to euthanize the rest.
And it’s not just a chicken problem. In addition to hundreds of dead chickens, the outbreak this year has claimed domestic ducks, quail, pheasants, even a couple of emus.
With colder weather and wild-bird migration hitting the high point in coming weeks, the environment is ripe for transmission, Scholz said.
“This kind of weather… it’s a setup for a perfect storm,” he said.
Wildlife officials say it’s OK to double-bag and dispose of one to two dead wild birds in the trash. People can also shallowly bury birds or just leave them where they’re found in the wild. Officials said people should be careful about handling the birds and should never transport them.
As for domestic birds, responsible owners can help prevent their flocks’ exposure to wild waterfowl by fencing off access to farm ponds or grassy fields, Scholz said.
Domestic flock owners should call the Department of Agriculture if more than one bird in their flock dies in rapid succession, officials said. Reported cases are reviewed by a veterinarian and samples are collected for testing. If the disease is confirmed, all birds are euthanized, said Scholz.
“Avian influenza is 100 percent fatal” for domestic birds, which have not developed the immunity that some wild birds have, he added. “All the birds are going to die from the disease. We would much rather humanely euthanize them then wait for them to get sick and die.”
– Gosia Wozniacka; gwozniacka@oregonian.com; @gosiawozniacka
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Almost 70% of animal populations wiped out since 1970, report reveals | Wildlife
Earth’s wildlife populations have plunged by an average of 69% in just under 50 years, according to a leading scientific assessment, as humans continue to clear forests, consume beyond the limits of the planet and pollute on an industrial scale.
From the open ocean to tropical rainforests, the abundance of birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles is in freefall, declining on average by more than two-thirds between 1970 and 2018, according to the WWF and Zoological Society of London’s (ZSL) biennial Living Planet Report. Two years ago, the figure stood at 68%, four years ago, it was at 60%.
Many scientists believe we are living through the sixth mass extinction – the largest loss of life on Earth since the time of the dinosaurs – and that it is being driven by humans. The report’s 89 authors are urging world leaders to reach an ambitious agreement at the Cop15 biodiversity summit in Canada this December and to slash carbon emissions to limit global heating to below 1.5C this decade to halt the rampant destruction of nature.
The Living Planet Index combines global analysis of 32,000 populations of 5,230 animal species to measure changes in the abundance of wildlife across continents and taxa, producing a graph akin to a stock index of life on Earth.
Latin America and the Caribbean region – including the Amazon – has seen the steepest decline in average wildlife population size, with a 94% drop in 48 years. Tanya Steele, chief executive at WWF-UK, said: “This report tells us that the worst declines are in the Latin America region, home to the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon. Deforestation rates there are accelerating, stripping this unique ecosystem not just of trees but of the wildlife that depends on them and of the Amazon’s ability to act as one of our greatest allies in the fight against climate change.”
Africa had the second largest fall at 66%, followed by Asia and the Pacific with 55% and North America at 20%. Europe and Central Asia experienced an 18% fall. The total loss is akin to the human population of Europe, the Americas, Africa, Oceania and China disappearing, according to the report.
“Despite the science, the catastrophic projections, the impassioned speeches and promises, the burning forests, submerged countries, record temperatures and displaced millions, world leaders continue to sit back and watch our world burn in front of our eyes,” said Steele. “The climate and nature crises, their fates entwined, are not some faraway threat our grandchildren will solve with still-to-be-discovered technology.”
She added: “We need our new prime minister to show the UK is serious about helping people, nature and the economy to thrive, by ensuring every promise for our world is kept. Falling short will be neither forgotten nor forgiven.”
Leading nature charities have accused Liz Truss of putting the economy before nature protection and the environment, and are concerned rare animals and plants could lose their protections when her promise of a “bonfire” of EU red tape happens later this year.
The report points out that not all countries have the same starting points with nature decline and that the UK has only 50% of its biodiversity richness compared with historical levels, according to the biodiversity intactness index, making it one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.
Land use change is still the most important driver of biodiversity loss across the planet, according to the report. Mike Barrett, executive director of science and conservation at WWF-UK, said: “At a global level, primarily the declines we are seeing are driven by the loss and fragmentation of habitat driven by the global agricultural system and its expansion into intact habitat converting it to produce food.”
The researchers underscore the increased difficulty animals are having moving through terrestrial landscapes as they are blocked by infrastructure and farmland. Only 37% of rivers longer than 1,000km (600 miles) remain free-flowing along their entire length, while just 10% of the world’s protected areas on land are connected.
Future declines are not inevitable, say the authors, who pinpoint the Himalayas, south-east Asia, the east coast of Australia, the Albertine Rift and Eastern Arc mountains in eastern Africa, and the Amazon basin among priority areas.
The IUCN is also developing a standard to measure the conservation potential of an animal, known as its green status, which will allow researchers to plot a path to recovery for some of the one million species threatened with extinction on Earth. The pink pigeon, burrowing bettong and Sumatran rhino were highlighted as species with good conservation potential in a study last year.
Robin Freeman, head of the indicators and assessments unit at ZSL, said it was clear that humanity is eroding the very foundations of life, and urgent action is needed. “In order to see any bending of the curve of biodiversity loss … it’s not just about conservation it’s about changing production and consumption – and the only way that we are going to be able to legislate or call for that is to have these clear measurable targets that ask for recovery of abundance, reduction of extinction risk and the ceasing of extinctions at Cop15 in December.”
Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features
The USDA is sprinkling fish-flavored vaccines from the sky to fight rabies :: WRAL.com
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… an oral rabies vaccine, dropped from the sky.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has initiated its annual oral rabies vaccine distribution, a project that will continue through October. The project is focused on preventing the spread of raccoon rabies from the eastern United States into the heartland, according to a news release from the USDA.
This year’s distribution started on August 6. If you’ve gotten your dog vaccinated for rabies, you probably remember taking it to the veterinarian to get a shot. But these rabies vaccines are edible pellets covered in fishmeal to attract raccoons and other hungry critters.
In rural areas, the USDA will distribute the vaccines by airplane. In suburban and urban areas, they’ll arrive by helicopter or vehicle or be deposited by hand in designated “bait stations,” says the release.
The August phase of the program is focused on Maine and West Virginia. Approximately 348,000 vaccines will be distributed in northern Maine and 535,000 distributed in parts of western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and a small portion of southwestern Virginia.
Then from mid-September to mid-October, 70,000 vaccines will be distributed in parts of peninsular Massachusetts.
Finally, in October southern states will receive their rabies vaccines. Parts of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia will receive more than 880,000 vaccines; Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee will receive around 820,000 vaccines; and parts of Alabama will include 1.1 million vaccines.
The oral vaccine, also called RABORAL V-RG, has been found to be safe in over 60 animal species, says the USDA. This includes domestic dogs and cats, so you don’t need to worry much about your beloved pet snacking on one of the vaccines. Dogs that eat large number of the vaccines may have stomach problems — but they won’t have any long-term health consequences, according to the USDA.
Rabies usually enters the human population via bites from an infected animal, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While all mammals can get rabies, distinct strains are found among bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and mongooses.