Human contact with bait containing vaccine for control of rabies in wildlife.
OBJECTIVE
To document the number of human contacts with bait containing liquid vaccinia-rabies glycoprotein (V-RG) vaccine, to evaluate factors that might affect human contact with bait-vaccine units, and to summarize adverse reactions in people after contact with vaccine.


METHODS
Retrospective 4-year survey of directors of 6 oral rabies vaccination programs.


METHODS
Human residents in areas of vaccination programs.


METHODS
Data were collected from report forms and telephone conversations with directors of oral rabies vaccination programs in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, and New York. Data collected included information regarding human contact with bait and vaccine, sex and age of person involved in contact, human population density, bait density, type of labeling used on bait, and other factors.


RESULTS
Human contact with bait was more likely in areas where bait had white labels (vs lettering in black ink) and in areas with high human population densities. Directors of all programs reported that human contact with bait-vaccine units was minimal. Adverse reactions in exposed people were not reported. On the basis of these findings, concerns about V-RG vaccine posing a substantial public health risk remain unfounded.


CONCLUSIONS
Directors of oral rabies vaccination programs should systematically collect information about exposures and potential factors affecting exposure of people to bait-vaccine units. People with substantial exposure to V-RG vaccine should be evaluated for immune status and any resulting symptoms should be documented and monitored.
McGuill
M W
MW
Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston 02130, USA.
Kreindel
S M
SM
DeMaria
A
A
Robbins
A H
AH
Rowell
S
S
Hanlon
C A
CA
Rupprecht
C E
CE
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D003625:Data Collection; D004348:Drug Labeling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011634:Public Health; D011818:Rabies / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000009:adverse effects
D011819:Rabies Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic