Rhodamine B appears to be a safe and effective 

 biomarker that may reduce the need for invasive 

 sampling techniques to assess the success 

 of the ORV program. The next step will be 

 to assess whether raccoons readily consume 

 fishmeal polymer baits containing rhodamine B. 

 Confirmation that raccoons do not exhibit a taste 

 aversion to rhodamine B baits will allow scientists to 

 make a recommendation for the use of rhodamine 

 B as part of the national ORV program. 



NWRC Researchers Evaluate Potential for the 

 Spread of Raccoon Rabies Across Northern 

 Ohio — Rabies in the United States occurs primarily 

 in wildlife species. Genetically distinct rabies virus 

 strains are maintained within a number of carnivore 

 and bat species in distinct geographic areas. Until 

 the early 1970s, rabies caused by the raccoon 

 virus strain was predominantly found in Florida 

 and Georgia. However, during that decade, rabies- 



Raccoon Movement Research Area 



L.A.ICE ERIE 



Legend 



r^H Parks of the Emerald Necklace 

 I I Counties 



Urtjan Areas 



■-"Vy 



Radio-collared raccoons are being studied to better understand 

 their movements in northern Ohio. Scientists will use the 

 information to evaluate any barriers or corridors to the possible 

 movement of raccoon rabies to other areas of the State. 



infected raccoons were transported from Florida to 

 the Virginia-West Virginia border, quickly spreading 

 the disease to a large number of animals in the 

 region. Since then, the disease has expanded 

 throughout the Eastern United States, presenting 

 a significant human health risk over a large 

 geographic area. 



Currently, eastern Ohio serves as one boundary 

 to the westward spread of the raccoon variant 

 of rabies. The primary means of controlling this 

 variant of rabies in the United States is the ORV 

 Program conducted by WS Operations. The ORV 

 Program's vaccine-laden baits have been distributed 

 throughout the Eastern and Southeastern United 

 States since 1990 and on the current western edge 

 of the raccoon rabies strain (the Ohio-Pennsylvania 

 border) since 1997. 



The goal of the ORV Program in Ohio is to contain 

 raccoon rabies in the natural corridor consisting 

 of the Allegheny Mountains in the north and the 

 Ohio River in the southeast. With the spread of 

 rabies into Lake, Geauga, and Cuyahoga Counties 

 of northeastern Ohio, movements of raccoons 

 there need to be examined. NWRC scientists are 

 attempting to identify if there are barriers and/or 

 corridors that may affect the spread of raccoon 

 rabies in the area. 



NWRC researchers have begun capturing and 

 radio-collaring raccoons in both urban areas and 

 rural-suburban interfaces. Raccoons are being 

 located weekly using VHF (very high frequency) 

 telemetry. Genetic sampling, which will be used 

 to evaluate raccoon movements in northern Ohio 

 over time, is being done on approximately 180 

 samples. The majority of genetic sampling occurred 

 simultaneously during a raccoon density study 

 in the late summer and early fall of 2007. The 

 raccoon location information is being entered into 

 a geographic information system (CIS) program in 

 an effort to follow raccoon movements and evaluate 

 any barriers to or corridors for movement (e.g., 

 rivers, roads, greenbelts, etc.). Preliminary results 

 show raccoons are not moving long distances. 



26 Developing Methods 



