Trap-Vaccinate-Release Program to Control Raccoon Rabies, New York, USA

Sally Slavinski

, Lee Humberg, Martin Lowney, Richard Simon, Neil Calvanese, Brooke Bregman, Daniel Kass, and William Oleszko

Author affiliations: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York, USA (S. Slavinski, B. Bregman, D. Kass, W. Oleszko); US Department of Agriculture, Rockville, Maryland, USA (L. Humberg, M. Lowney); New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York (R. Simon); and Central Park Conservancy, New York (N. Calvanese)

Abstract

In 2009, an outbreak of raccoon rabies in Central Park in New York City, New York, USA, infected 133 raccoons. Five persons and 2 dogs were exposed but did not become infected. A trap-vaccinate-release program vaccinated ≈500 raccoons and contributed to the end of the epizootic.

Central Park, described as an oasis in the midst of an urban jungle, spans 843 acres. Raccoons thrive in Central Park, an ideal habitat with an abundance of human refuse as food. Although not actually counted, the estimated raccoon population in the park is ≈500. Each year, Central Park receives >25 million visitors, offering ample opportunity for humans and off-leash dogs to be exposed to raccoons.

Figure 1

Thumbnail of Location of rabid raccoons in and around Central Park, New York City, New York, USA, December 1, 2009–December 1, 2011. Each dot represents a rabid raccoon.

Figure 1. . . Location of rabid raccoons in and around Central Park, New York City, New York, USA, December 1, 2009–December 1, 2011. Each dot represents a rabid raccoon.

On August 27, 2009, a sick raccoon collected from Central Park in Manhattan tested positive for rabies virus, marking the emergence of an enzootic of raccoon rabies in Central Park. From December 2009 through December 2011, rabies test results for 133 raccoons collected in or near Central Park were also positive (Figure 1). The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) quickly assembled a task force with the objective of developing a response plan. The task force comprised members of the New York City DOHMH, the US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, the Central Park Conservancy, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the New York State Department of Health, New York City Animal Care and Control, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. A trap-vaccinate-release (TVR) plan was developed and implemented.