EVALUATION OF BAITS FOR ORAL RABIES VACCINATION OF MONGOOSES - PILOT FIELD TRIALS IN ANTIGUA, WEST-INDIES

A field study was conducted on the island of Antigua, West Indies, to evaluate baits for delivering an oral rabies vaccine to the small Indi an mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus). Tracking tiles were used to det ermine that mongooses were nonselective and took both egg-flavored pol yurethane baits and fish-flavored polymer baits containing several dif ferent food materials. A high proportion of baits were taken the day o f placement with minimal disturbance by nontarget species. DuPont Oil Blue A(TM) dye was an effective short-term biomarker for use in baits; based on its subsequent detection in mongooses, some of the populatio n had consumed and not cached or discarded baits. Central point baitin g stations showed promise as an alternative delivery technique.