Current Trends Compendium of Animal Rabies Vaccines, 1986
Prepared by: The National Association of State Public Health
Veterinarians, Inc.
Part I: Recommendations for Immunization Procedures
The purpose of these recommendations is to provide information
on rabies
vaccines to practicing veterinarians, public health officials, and
others
concerned with rabies control. This document will serve as the
basis for
animal rabies vaccination programs throughout the United States.
Its adoption
will result in standardization of procedures among jurisdictions,
which is
necessary for an effective national rabies-control program. These
recommen-
dations are reviewed and revised as necessary before the beginning
of each
calendar year. All animal rabies vaccines licensed by the U.S.
Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and marketed in the United States are listed in
Part II,
and Part III describes the principles of rabies control.
VACCINE ADMINISTRATION
The Committee * recommends that all animal rabies vaccines be
restricted
for use by or under the supervision of a veterinarian.
VACCINE SELECTION
The use of vaccines with 3-year duration of immunity is
recommended,
since their use constitutes the most effective method of
increasing the
proportion of immunized dogs and cats in comprehensive
rabies-control
programs.
ROUTE OF INOCULATION
Unless otherwise specified by the product label or package
insert, all
vaccines must be administered intramuscularly at one site in
the thigh.
WILDLIFE VACCINATION
Vaccination is not recommended, since no rabies vaccine is
licensed for
use in wild animals and since there is no evidence that any
vaccine will
protect wild animals against rabies. The Committee recommends
that
neither wild nor exotic animals be kept as pets and that wild
animals not
be crossbred to domestic dogs or cats. Offspring borne to wild
animals
crossbred to domestic dogs or cats will be considered as wild
animals.
ACCIDENTAL HUMAN EXPOSURE TO VACCINE
Accidental human inoculation may occur during administration of
animal
rabies vaccine. Such exposure to inactivated vaccines
constitutes no
known rabies hazard. No cases of rabies have resulted from
needle or
other exposure to a licensed, modified live virus vaccine in
the United
States.
IDENTIFICATION OF VACCINATED DOGS
The Committee recommends that all agencies and veterinarians
adopt the
standard tag system. This will aid the administration of local,
state,
national, and international procedures. Dog license tags should
not
conflict in shape and color with rabies tags. It is recommended
that
anodized aluminum rabies tags not be less than 0.064 inches in
thickness.
Rabies Tags.
Calendar Year Color Shape
1986 Orange Fireplug
1987 Green Bell
1988 Red Heart
1989 Blue Rosette
Rabies Certificate. All agencies and veterinarians should
use form
#50 Rabies Vaccination Certificate of the National
Association of
State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. (NASPHV), which can
be
obtained from vaccine manufacturers.
Part III: Principles of Rabies Control
These guidelines have been prepared by the NASPHV for use by
government
officials, practicing veterinarians, and others who may become
involved in
certain aspects of rabies control. The NASPHV plans to annually
review and
revise these recommendations as necessary. Standardized control
procedures
are needed to deal effectively with the public health aspects of
rabies.
PRINCIPLES OF RABIES CONTROL
Humans. Rabies in humans can be prevented by eliminating
exposure to
rabid animals and by promptly treating local wounds and
immunizing
when exposed. Current recommendations of the Immunization
Practices
Advisory Committee (ACIP) for preexposure and postexposure
prophylaxis are suggested for consideration by attending
physicians.
These recommendations, along with the current status of
animal rabies
in the region and information concerning the availability
of rabies
biologics, are available from state health departments.
Domestic Animals. Local governments should initiate and
maintain
effective programs to remove stray and unwanted animals and
ensure
vaccination of all dogs and cats. Since cat rabies cases
now exceed
those annually reported in dogs, immunization of cats
should be
required. Such procedures in the United States have reduced
labora-
tory-confirmed rabies cases in dogs from 8,000 in 1947 to
97 in 1984.
The recommended vaccination procedures and the licensed
animal
vaccines are specified in Parts I and II of the NASPHV's
annually
released Compendium.
Wildlife. The control of rabies in foxes, skunks, raccoons,
and other
terrestrial animals is very difficult. Selective reduction
of these
populations, when indicated, may be useful, but the utility
of this
procedure depends heavily on the circumstances surrounding
each
rabies outbreak. (See C: Control Methods in Wild Animals.)
CONTROL METHODS IN DOMESTIC AND CONFINED ANIMALS
Preexposure Vaccination and Management. Animal rabies
vaccines,
because of species limitations, techniques, and tolerances,
should be
administered only by or under the direct supervision of a
veterin-
arian. Within 1 month after vaccination, a peak rabies
antibody titer
is reached, and the animal can be considered immunized.
(See Parts I
and II for recommended vaccines and procedures.)
Dogs and Cats. All dogs and cats should be vaccinated
against
rabies commencing at 3 months of age and revaccinated
in
accordance with Part II of this Compendium.
Livestock. It is not economically feasible, nor is it
justified
from a public health standpoint, to vaccinate all
livestock
against rabies. Veterinary clinicians and owners of
valuable
animals may consider immunizing certain breeding stock
located in
areas where wildlife rabies is epizootic.
Other Animals.
(1) Animals Maintained in Exhibits and Zoological
Parks. Captive
animals not completely excluded from all contact
with local
vectors of rabies can become infected with rabies.
Moreover,
such animals may be incubating rabies when
captured. Exhibit
animals, especially carnivores and omnivores having
contact
with the viewing public, should be quarantined for
a minimum
of 180 days. Since no rabies vaccine is licensed
for use in
wild animals, vaccination, even with inactivated
vaccine, is
not recommended. Preexposure rabies immunization of
animal
workers at such facilities is recommended to
protect the
workers and to reduce the need for euthanizing a
valuable
animal for rabies testing after it has bitten a
handler.
(2) Wild Animals. Because of the existing risk of
rabies among
wild animals, such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes,
the
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the
NASPHV,
and the Conference of State and Territorial
Epidemiologists
strongly recommend the enactment of state laws
prohibiting
the interstate and intrastate importation,
distribution, and
relocation of wild animals and wild animals
crossbred to
domestic dogs and cats. Further, these same
organizations
continue to recommend the enactment of laws
prohibiting the
distribution or keeping of wild animals as pets.
Stray-Animal Control. Stray dogs and cats should be removed
from the
community, especially in rabies-epizootic areas. Local
health depart-
ment and animal-control officials can enforce the pick-up
of strays
more efficiently if owned animals are confined or leashed
when not
confined. Strays should be impounded for at least 3 days to
give
owners sufficient time to reclaim animals apprehended as
strays and
to determine whether human exposure has occurred.
Quarantine.
International. Present USDA regulations (CFR No. 71154)
governing
the importation of wild and domestic felines, canines,
and other
potential rabies vectors are minimal for preventing the
intro-
duction of rabid animals into the United States. All
dogs and
cats imported from countries with endemic rabies should
be
vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days before entry
into the
United States. ** CDC is responsible for these animals
imported
into the United States. CDC's requirements should be
coordinated
with interstate shipment requirements. The health
authority of
the state of destination should be notified within 72
hours of
any animal conditionally admitted into its
jurisdiction.
The conditional admission of such animals into the
United
States must be subject to state and local laws
governing rabies.
Failures to comply with these requirements should be
promptly
reported to the director of CDC.
Interstate. Before interstate shipment, dogs and cats
should be
vaccinated against rabies according to the Compendium's
recommen-
dations, preferably at least 30 days before shipment.
While in
shipment, they should be accompanied by a currently
valid NASPHV
Form #50 Rabies Vaccination Certificate. One copy of
the certi-
ficate should be mailed to the appropriate Public
Health Veterin-
arian or State Veterinarian of the state of
destination.
Health Certificates. If a certificate is required for
dogs and
cats in transit, it must not replace the NASPHV rabies
vaccin-
ation certificate.
Adjunct Procedures. Methods or procedures that enhance
rabies control
include:
Licensure. Registration of licensure of all dogs and
cats may be
used as a means of rabies control by controlling the
stray-animal
population. Frequently, a fee is charged for such
licensure, and
revenues collected are used to maintain a rabies- or
animal-
control program. Vaccination is usually recommended as
a prere-
quisite to licensure.
Canvassing of Area. This includes house-to-house calls
by members
of the animal-control program to enforce vaccination
and licen-
sure requirements.
Citations. These are legal summonses issued to owners
for viola-
tions, including failure to vaccinate or license their
animals.
Leash Laws. All communities should adopt leash laws
that can be
incorporated into their animal-control ordinances.
Postexposure Management. ANY DOMESTIC ANIMAL THAT IS BITTEN
OR
SCRATCHED BY A BAT OR BY A WILD, CARNIVOROUS MAMMAL THAT IS
NOT
AVAILABLE FOR TESTING SHOULD BE REGARDED AS HAVING BEEN
EXPOSED TO A
RABID ANIMAL.
Dogs and Cats. When bitten by a rabid animal,
unvaccinated dogs
and cats should be destroyed immediately. If the owner
is
unwilling to have this done, the unvaccinated animal
should be
placed in strict isolation for 6 months and vaccinated
1 month
before being released. Dogs and cats that are currently
vaccinated should be revaccinated immediately and
observed by the
owner for 90 days.
Livestock. All species of livestock are susceptible to
rabies
infection; cattle appear to be among the most
susceptible of all
domestic animal species. Livestock known to have been
bitten by
rabid animals should be destroyed (slaughtered)
immediately. If
the owner is unwilling to have this done, the animal
should be
kept under very close observation for 6 months.
The following ore recommendations to owners of
livestock
exposed to rabid animals:
(1) If slaughtered within 7 days of being bitten,
tissues may be
eaten without risk of infection, providing liberal
portions
of the exposed area are discarded. Federal meat
inspectors
will reject for slaughter any animal that has been
exposed to
rabies within 8 months.
(2) No tissues or secretions from a clinically rabid
animal
should be used for human or animal consumption.
However,
because pasteurization temperatures will inactivate
rabies
virus, drinking pasteurized milk or eating
completely cooked
meat does not constitute a rabies exposure.
CONTROL METHODS IN WILD ANIMALS
Bats and wild carnivorous mammals, as well as wild animals
cross-bred to
domestic dogs and cats, that bite people should be killed, and
appro-
priate tissues should be sent to the laboratory for examination
for
rabies. A person bitten by a bat or any wild animal should
immediately
report the incident to a physician who can evaluate the need
for anti-
rabies treatment (see current ACIP rabies prophylaxis
recommendations:
Rabies Prevention -- United States, 1984. MMWR 1984;33:393-402,
407-8).
Terrestrial Mammals. Continuous and persistent
government-funded
programs for trapping or poisoning wildlife as a means of
rabies
control are not cost-effective in reducing wildlife
reservoirs or
rabies incidence on a statewide basis. However, limited
control in
high-contact areas (picnic grounds, camps, suburban areas)
may be
indicated for the removal of selected, high-risk species of
wild
animals. The public should be warned not to handle wild
animals. The
state wildlife agency should be consulted early to manage
any elimin-
ation programs in coordination with the state health
department.
Bats.
Rabid bats have been reported from every state except
Hawaii and
have caused human rabies infections in the United
States. It is
neither feasible nor practical, however, to control
rabies in
bats by areawide bat-population reduction programs.
Bats should be eliminated from houses and surrounding
structures
to prevent direct association with people. Such
structures should
then be made bat-proof by seating routes of entrance
with screen
or other means.
THE NASPHV COMPENDIUM COMMITTEE: Melvin K. Abelseth, DVM, PhD,
Chairman;
Russell W. Currier, DVM, MPH; John I. Freeman, DVM, MPH; Russell J.
Martin,
DVM, MPH; Grayson B. Miller, Jr, MD; James M. Shuler, DVM, MPH; R.
Keith
Sikes, DVM, MPH
CONSULTANTS TO THE COMMITTEE: Leslie P. Williams, Jr, DVM, DrPH,
AVMA Council
on Public Health & Regulatory Veterinary Medicine; Kenneth L.
Crawford, DVM,
MPH; David Aa Espeseth, DVM, Veterinary Biologics Staff, APHIS,
USDA; Howard
Koonse, Representative, Veterinary Biological Section Animal Health
Institute; Suzanne Jenkins, VMD, MPH, CDC, PHS, HHS
ENDORSED BY Conference of State and Territorial Epidemiologists,
AVMA Council
on Public Health and Regulatory Veterinary Medicine
** In regard to cats, these recommendations do not conform to the
official
recommendations of CDC and the U.S. Public Health Service. Although
domestic
feline rabies has increased, there has been no evidence of
increased risk of
imported rabies in cats. U.S. Foreign Quarantine Regulations do not
require
rabies vaccinations for imported cats.
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