Rabies is significantly on the rise among wild animals in Vermont, according to Vermont health officials. In response, the state and federal government are ramping up joint efforts to vaccinate wildlife against the disease.
Officials plan to put over 900,000 doses in bait they'll distribute across 10 counties in Vermont. Workers in early May will drop the bait from low-flying aircraft in rural areas, and place it by hand in more densely-populated places.
Little blister packs covered in a waxy green coating will hold the vaccine. They're scented to attract raccoons and skunks.
If you encounter these blister packs while you’re out, it’s important to leave them alone so wild animals can find them, said Vermont public health veterinarian Natalie Kwit.
“The way it works is they pick them up, they bite into it. It's kind of like a pressurized liquid packet, and it bursts in their mouth, and then they swallow it, and it gets them vaccinated,” she said.
If your pet accidentally eats one of these blister packs, Kwit said they should be fine. But the health department wants you to call anyway to let them know.
Rabies is a deadly virus that attacks the brain and nervous system. Infected animals spread the disease through their saliva. In Vermont, it is most often found in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats.
There were 66 rabid animals reported in both 2024 and 2025, more than double the previous annual average in Vermont. So far this year, 16 animals have been found to be rabid. While counties across northern Vermont have been affected, the greatest number of recent cases have been in Orleans County.
The vaccine bait drop is a joint project between the state and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has been running the program across the eastern seaboard since the 1990s.
Officials also plan to conduct the regular, annual statewide bait drop in August. This year is the fourth consecutive year that Vermont has scheduled an extra bait drop in response to rising cases.
Rabies cases are up nationally, although officials say they’re still trying to understand why.
