Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
December 1985
Abstract
Control of rabies by reducing the density of potential vectors has been a controversial matter. Only 2 outbreaks of rabies in Europe are likely to have been completely eradicated by control, 1 in Dijon, France, in 1923, and the other in Corsica in 1943 (MacDonald 1980). Schnurrenberger et aL (1964) apparently controlled an outbreak of rabies in striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in Ohio by gassing dens and through the use of poison. An invasion of red fox (Vulpes vulpesl rabies in southern Jutland from Demark was initially halted by a gassing and poisoning campaign. However, in Great Britian, despite the fact that 100,000 foxes are killed annually in 1 region, the population shows no sign of decline (MacDonald 1980), suggesting population reduction is not an effective means of controlling fox densities in that area.