National Estuary Program
State Rabies program around Buzzards Bay
Our Mission: To protect and restore water quality and living resources in Buzzards Bay and its surrounding watershed through the implementation of the Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan.
last update: April 29, 2002
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Tufts Veterinary Program have teamed up for one of the most innovative and successful rabies control initiatives in the country. Because this effort is in the Buzzards Bay watershed and we sometimes receive inquiries about the program, we have added these links to the program for interested residents.
In brief, the program involves feeding bait treated with a rabies vaccine to Raccoons, the prime carrier of the disease in Massachusetts. The fact that there are no cases of rabies on the Cape Cod portion of the Buzzards Bay watershed prompted this initiative. The Cape Cod Canal is a barrier, but it is possible for raccoons to cross one of the three canal bridges. Buzzards Bay towns included in the program include the eastern portion of Mattapoisett, Marion, Wareham, Plymouth, and Bourne.
Links for more information:
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Fact Sheet on rabies (a pdf file)
Tufts University e-news article
New Bedford Standard Times article: volunteers help fight against rabies
