By Tiffany Williams –
AROOSTOOK COUNTY, Maine — Federal and state health officials are launching another major rabies prevention effort in northern Maine this week, with nearly 599,000 oral rabies vaccine baits set to be distributed across Aroostook County.
The operation is being carried out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services in cooperation with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The bait distribution will run from Aug. 12 through Aug. 24.
Officials say the fall campaign follows a similar effort conducted in the spring and comes in response to continued detections of rabid raccoons in Aroostook County.
The goal is to slow the spread of raccoon rabies and reduce the risk that people or domestic animals could be exposed through contact with infected wildlife.
Crews will distribute the baits by air in rural areas and by vehicle in more populated communities.
Each bait is either a fishmeal-coated cube or sachet measuring roughly one to two inches.
Officials say people and pets cannot contract rabies simply by touching the bait, but residents are being advised not to handle or move the baits.
The vaccine program has been used for years as part of a broader effort to contain raccoon rabies in northern Maine.
Studies have found the baits are safe for many animal species, including domestic dogs and cats.
Dogs that eat a large number of baits may experience stomach upset, but officials say there are no known long-term health risks.
Anyone who comes into direct skin contact with a bait is advised to wash the area with warm water and soap.
Residents with concerns about a person or pet touching or eating a bait can contact the Maine CDC’s 24-hour line at 800-821-5821.
The USDA’s Wildlife Services has worked since 2003 to stop the spread of raccoon rabies in northern Maine.
The agency also works with officials in New Brunswick and Quebec as part of a cross-border effort to reduce the presence of rabies in Maine and neighboring areas of Canada.
The Maine program is also part of a larger federal strategy aimed at preventing raccoon rabies from spreading westward.
That effort creates a vaccination barrier along the Appalachian Mountains stretching from the Canadian border to Alabama.
Rabies attacks the nervous system of humans and other mammals and is most commonly spread through the bite of an infected animal.
Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal.
However, timely post-exposure treatment can prevent the disease in people.
Wildlife accounts for about 90% of reported animal rabies cases in the United States.
As of Aug. 10, 2026, Maine had recorded 28 animals testing positive for rabies across 12 counties.
Those cases involved raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats and a goat.
State officials are urging residents to keep pets and livestock current on rabies vaccinations and to avoid creating situations that attract wild animals.
Pets should be fed indoors, while garbage cans and other food sources should remain tightly secured.
Officials are also warning residents not to feed, touch or attempt to adopt wild animals and to use caution around stray dogs and cats.
People are also being advised not to move wildlife from one location to another because doing so can spread rabies into areas where it was not previously present.
Anyone bitten or scratched by an animal should immediately wash the wound with soap and water for 10 to 15 minutes and contact a health care provider.
If a pet is bitten or scratched, owners should contact a veterinarian.
Residents in northern Maine who encounter dead or suspicious-acting wildlife can contact USDA Wildlife Services.
In other parts of the state, those reports should be made to the nearest Maine Regional Communications Dispatch Center.
For health officials, the message is straightforward: the bait distribution is designed to reduce the amount of rabies circulating in wildlife before it reaches people, pets or livestock.
And with rabid animals already confirmed in a dozen Maine counties this year, officials are making clear that prevention remains the first line of defense.