Other events in Baltic States

The Estonian Veterinary and Food Board launches a vaccination campaign of foxes and raccoon dogs from September 13 to at least October 8 in the whole of Estonian territory, in order to stop the spread of rabies and in protection of humans and domestic animals, LETA/Postimees Online reports.

The vaccine will be spread by throwing special bait that contains vaccine from on board planes to the woods. The activity starts on from Hiiumaa and Saaremaa and moves from West to East to the coast of Lake Peipsi and Narva River and from North to South to the Latvian border.

The results of the vaccination programme so far have been very good. The data of vaccination effectiveness control of 2009 indicates that 88% of the target group animals ate the vaccine.

The general number of rabies cases in Estonia has also considerably decreased. Since March 2008, three rabies cases in foxes have been ascertained.

The first spread of vaccine from planes took place in autumn 2005. Since 2006, the whole of Estonian territory is vaccinated twice a year till there are no more rabies cases for two years in a row. Later, vaccination has to take place in 30-50 radius of the state border to protect the state against new cases from abroad.