More than 3.6 million baits containing a recombinant vaccinia virus–rabies glycoprotein (V-RG) oral rabies vaccine were aerially or hand-distributed during 1999–2006 in an approximate 4,000-9,000 km2 area of eastern Ontario, Canada, as part of a multitactic approach to control the raccoon variant of rabies. The efficacy of the program was assessed through the collection and testing of >6,900 animals for bait acceptance and rabies virus-specific antibodies. Raccoon acceptance of rabies vaccine baits was significantly greater (71–83%) in areas baited at a density of 150 baits/km2 compared to areas baited at 75 baits/km2 (26–58%), and more raccoons consumed vaccine baits in areas baited with a flight line spacing of 0.75 km (45.3%[321/708[) than with a spacing of 1.5 km (33.8% [108/320[). In addition, greater numbers of raccoons consumed vaccine baits during a drop in September (52.7%[213/404[) as opposed to a June bait drop (34.6% [216/624[). Seropositivity rates for raccoons ranged between 7% and 28% in areas baited at 75/km2 and 10% to 27% in areas baited at 150/km2 with statistical differences varying among years and treatments. The last case of raccoon-variant rabies reported in Ontario was in September 2005. The control of raccoon rabies in Ontario has resulted in an estimated $6M to $10M Cdn annual savings in rabies-associated costs.
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