The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) today announced the launching of the annual Oral Rabies Vaccination Program (ORVP) bait drop for animals on January 7, 2024.
The OVRP program for 2025 includes additional bait distribution areas in far West Texas, parts of El Paso County, and other counties bordering New Mexico. The geographic expansion is in response to a new Arizona fox rabies virus variant that has moved east and been confirmed in Sierra County, New Mexico.
Rabies Vaccine Airdrop Flights Launch in Texas in 2025
Most Countries Confirmed Fewer Zika Infections in 2024
Since first impacting people in the Region of America in 2014, the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus has affected many people's health. According to recent reports, most countries in the Americas reported fewer Zika outbreaks in 2024.
Additionally, a second-generation Zika vaccine candidate has progressed in clinical trial development for the first time.
As of January 3, 2024, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) confirmed the local transmission of Zika in countries and territories in the Americas region.