Accidental exposure to oral rabies vaccine

To combat raccoon rabies, various government agencies have implemented a plan to distribute oral rabies vaccine (ORV) in wooded areas. The bait blocks containing ORV are available for its intended population but also for humans and domestic animals.

A regional poison information center (RPIC) identified all exposures to ORV from 2002-2004 reported to the center.

Twenty-two accidental exposures to the ORV were reported. Eight (36%) of the exposures were human and 14 (64%) were domestic animals. The animal exposures were oral while the human contaminations were oral (1), dermal (6), inhalation (1), and ocular (1). Eight of the cases involved multiple victims. No symptoms were reported in the humans or canines although the feline died (unsubstantiated if related). Treatment consisted of irrigation/dilution and in one instance emesis was induced.

In this case series, accidental exposure to ORV posed no hazard to domestic animals or humans.