The City Council created this adhoc committee on December 1, 2021, to evaluate a rabies vaccination program in the region and determine ways for collaboration in communities. Following the adhoc committee's work, the City Council voted to seek guidance from county, state, and federal governments in the coordination of the oral rabies vaccination component of a wider rabies management campaign on April 20, 2022. City Manager Marc Meyers reported to City Council on July 7, 2022, that there was no support for an ORV program from county, state and federal governments.

Membership

Membership updated 3-18-2022

Meetings

Previous work

In response to an influx of rabid animals in 2019-2020, which resulted in 18 fox attacks on people and pets, the City partnered with the USDA and Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife on response including public education and a trapping program to reduce population densities of locally abundant rabies vector species to mitigate the human-wildlife conflict.

An Integrated Wildlife Damage Management Program in Response to a Raccoon Rabies Epizootic in Bath, USDA Report

Trapping Program Press Release

Trapping Program FAQ  

A rabies adhoc committee was created by City Council to consider options for addressing potential rabies outbreaks. This committee met from January 2021-July 2021. 

Two products from that adhoc committee's work:

Greater Bath, Maine Oral Rabies Vaccination (ORV) Zone Design, provided by USDA

Rabies Ad Hoc Committee Update for Council, August 4, 2021

For more information on rabies, visit www.cityofbath.com/rabies.