The Texas State Guard (State Defense Force) has been working with multiple Local, State & Federal agencies in a large scale effort to fight the spread of Rabies throughout Texas. Operations Oral Rabies Vaccination Program (ORVP) is spearheaded by the Texas Health & Human Services Division and its intent is to deploy approximately 1 million individual vaccine baits along parts of the Texas-Mexico border over a period of approximately two weeks.

The Texas Department of State Health Services Zoonosis Control Branch concluded the 2022 Oral Rabies Vaccination Program’s aerial distribution of oral rabies vaccine baits for wildlife on January 24th.  The campaign distributed approximately 1 million individual vaccine baits along parts of the Texas-Mexico border over a period of approximately two weeks.  Target wildlife species include coyotes and gray foxes.  Anyone finding one of the vaccine baits is encouraged to leave it alone as wildlife can smell the human scent. The vaccine will not hurt pets or livestock if they consume one of the vaccine baits

Texas State Guard, 3rd Brigade service members, CPT Jesse Soto, SFC Ariel Lim, SSG Jesus Guerra, CPL Ruben Garza, PV2 Lewis Cuellar, PV2 Roberto Martinez were deployed in operation ORVP in which the Texas State Guard has partnered with many local, state, federal, and cooperative agencies to help eliminate rabies in coyotes and gray foxes in south & west-central Texas.

Sources: Texas State Guard | Texas Health & Human Services