Rabies

Rabies 1. Class 1A case report required. 2. Control in Animals: The Mississippi State Department of Health subscribes to the most current edition of the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, parts I, II, and III, by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians. The provisions of this compendium have been endorsed by the CDC, U. S. Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services; the American Veterinary Medical Association; the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists; and other public and private agencies. The compendium can be found at www.nasphv.org/documentsCompedia.html .The following are state specific modifications to the Compendium. 3. Vaccine Administration: All animal rabies vaccines are restricted to use by or under the supervision of a veterinarian or person specifically licensed or designated by the State Board of Health to administer rabies vaccine. 4. Vaccine Selection: The current Compendium lists vaccines licensed for use in the United States. Only licensed vaccines shall be used. Vaccines selected for immunizing dogs and cats shall be licensed as providing 3-year immunity. 5. Wildlife Vaccination: Vaccination of wildlife is not recommended since no vaccine is licensed for use in wild animals. Offspring of wild animals bred with domestic dogs or cats are considered wild animals. 6. Pre-Exposure Vaccination (Dogs and Cats): All dogs and cats shall be vaccinated against rabies at three months of age, revaccinated one year later and every three years thereafter, using a rabies vaccine approved as providing a 3 year immunity. 7. Post-Exposure Management a. Any animal bitten or scratched by a wild, carnivorous mammal or bat that is not available for testing should be regarded as having been exposed to rabies. b. Dogs, Cats, and Ferrets: Unvaccinated dogs, cats, and ferrets exposed to a rabid animal should be euthanized immediately. If the owner is unwilling to have this done, or if the animal is overdue for vaccinations, refer to the recommendations contained within the Postexposure Management section of the most current version of the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control (www.nasphv.org/documentsCompedia.html). Dogs, cats, and ferrets that are currently vaccinated should be revaccinated immediately, kept under the owner’s control, and observed for 45 days. 8. Management of Animals that Bite Humans a. A healthy dog, cat, or ferret that bites a person shall be confined and observed for 10 days in a manner acceptable to the local health officer or his or her designee. Rabies vaccine shall not be administered during the observation period. Such animals shall be evaluated by a veterinarian at the first sign of illness during confinement. Any illness in the animal shall be reported immediately to the local health department. If signs suggestive of rabies develop, the animal shall be euthanized, its head removed, and the head shipped under refrigeration to the Department of Health Laboratory for examination. Any stray or unwanted dog, cat, or ferret that bites a person may be euthanized immediately, in lieu of 10 days of observation, and the head submitted as described above for rabies examination. Animals other than dogs, cats, or ferrets that might have exposed a person to rabies should be reported immediately to the health department. This is not to include low risk animals such as small rodents and lagomorphs (e.g., squirrels, rats, mice, gerbils, and rabbits). Prior vaccination of an animal does not preclude the necessity for euthanasia and testing if the period of virus shedding is unknown for that species. Management of animals other than dogs, cats, and ferrets depends on the species, the circumstances of the bite, the epidemiology of rabies in the area, and the biting animal’s history, current health status, and potential for exposure to rabies. The need for euthanizing and testing the animal shall be decided upon consultation with the Epidemiology Program. Post-exposure management of persons should follow the recommendations of the ACIP.