Compendium of Animal Rabies Control, 1998 National Association of
State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc.
The purpose of this Compendium is to provide information on rabies control to veterinarians, public health officials, and others concerned with rabies control. These recommendations serve as the basis for animal rabies-control programs throughout the United States and facilitate standardization of procedures among jurisdictions, thereby contributing to an effective national rabies-control program. This document is reviewed annually and revised as necessary. Recommendations for parenteral immunization procedures are contained in Part I; all animal rabies vaccines licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and marketed in the United States are listed in Part II; Part III details the principles of rabies control.
Part I: Recommendations for Parenteral Immunization Procedures
Vaccine Administration
All animal rabies vaccines should be restricted to use by, or
under the direct supervision of, a veterinarian.
Vaccine Selection In comprehensive rabies-control programs, only vaccines with a 3-year duration of immunity should be used. This procedure constitutes the most effective method of increasing the proportion of immunized dogs and cats in any population (See Part II).
Route of Inoculation All vaccines must be administered in accordance with the specifications of the product label or package insert. If administered intramuscularly, the vaccine must be injected at one site in the thigh.
Vaccination of Wildlife and Hybrids The efficacy of parenteral rabies vaccination of wildlife and hybrids (the offspring of wild animals crossbred to domestic dogs and cats) has not been established, and no rabies vaccine is licensed for these animals. Zoos or research institutions may establish vaccination programs that attempt to protect valuable animals, but these programs should not replace appropriate public health activities that protect humans.
Accidental Human Exposure to Vaccine Accidental inoculation may occur during administration of animal rabies vaccine. Such exposure to inactivated vaccines constitutes no rabies hazard.
Identification of Vaccinated Animals All agencies and veterinarians should adopt the standard tag system. This practice will aid the administration of local, state, national, and international control procedures. Animal license tags should be distinguishable in shape and color from rabies vaccine tags. Anodized aluminum rabies tags should be no less than 0.064 inches in thickness.
Rabies Tags
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Calendar year Color Shape
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1998 Orange Oval
1999 Green Bell
2000 Red Heart
2001 Blue Rosette
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Rabies Certificate. All agencies and veterinarians should use the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. (NASPHV) form #51, Rabies Vaccination Certificate, which can be obtained from vaccine manufacturers. Computer-generated forms containing the same information are acceptable.
Part II: Vaccines Marketed in the United States and NASPHV
Recommendations (Table_1)
Part III: Rabies Control
Principles of Rabies Control
Human Rabies Prevention. Rabies in humans can be prevented either by eliminating exposures to rabid animals or by providing exposed persons with prompt local treatment of wounds combined with appropriate passive and active immunization. The rationale for recommending preexposure and postexposure rabies prophylaxis and details pertaining to their administration can be found in the current recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP) of the Public Health Service (PHS). ** These recommendations, along with information concerning the current local and regional status of animal rabies and the availability of human rabies biologics, are available from state health departments.
Domestic Animals. Local governments should initiate and maintain effective programs to ensure vaccination of all dogs, cats, and ferrets and to remove strays and unwanted animals. Such procedures in the United States have reduced laboratory-confirmed rabies cases in dogs from 6,949 in 1947 to 111 in 1996. Because more rabies cases are reported annually involving cats than dogs, vaccination of cats should be required. The recommended vaccination procedures and the licensed animal vaccines are specified in Parts I and II of the Compendium.
Rabies in Wildlife. The control of rabies among wildlife reservoirs is difficult. Vaccination of free-ranging wildlife or selective population reduction may be useful in some situations, but the success of such procedures depends on the circumstances surrounding each rabies outbreak (See C. Control Methods in Wildlife).
Control Methods in Domestic and Confined Animals
Preexposure Vaccination and Management. Parenteral animal rabies vaccines should be administered only by, or under the direct supervision of, a veterinarian. This is the only way to ensure that a responsible person can be held accountable to assure the public that the animal has been properly vaccinated. Within 1 month after primary vaccination, a peak rabies antibody titer is reached and the animal can be considered immunized. An animal is currently vaccinated and is considered immunized if it was vaccinated at least 30 days previously and if all vaccinations have been administered in accordance with this Compendium. Regardless of the age of the animal at initial vaccination, a second vaccination should be given 1 year later (See Parts I and II for recommended vaccines and procedures).
Dogs, cats, and ferrets. All dogs, cats, and ferrets should be vaccinated against rabies at 3 months of age and revaccinated in accordance with Part II of this Compendium. If a previously vaccinated animal is overdue for a booster, it should be revaccinated with a single dose of vaccine and placed on an annual or triennial schedule, depending on the type of vaccine used.
Livestock. Vaccinating all livestock against rabies is neither economically feasible nor justified from a public health standpoint. However, consideration should be given to vaccination of livestock that are particularly valuable and/or may have frequent contact with humans.
Other Animals.
Wild. No parenteral rabies vaccine is licensed for use in wild animals. Because of the risk of rabies in wild animals (especially raccoons, skunks, coyotes, foxes, and bats), the AVMA, the NASPHV, and the CSTE strongly recommend the enactment of state laws prohibiting the importation, distribution, relocation, or keeping of wild animals or hybrids as pets.
Maintained in Exhibits and in Zoological Parks. Captive animals not completely excluded from contact with rabies vectors can become infected. Moreover, wild animals may be incubating rabies when initially captured; therefore, wild-caught animals susceptible to rabies should be quarantined for a minimum of 180 days before being exhibited or otherwise having contact with other animals or the public. Employees who work with animals at such facilities should receive preexposure rabies immunization. The use of pre- or postexposure rabies immunizations of employees who work with animals at such facilities may reduce the need for euthanasia of captive animals.
Stray Animals. Stray dogs, cats, or ferrets should be removed from the community. Local health departments and animal control officials can enforce the removal of strays more effectively if owned animals are confined or kept on leash. Strays should be impounded for at least 3 days to give owners sufficient time to reclaim animals and to determine if human exposure has occurred.
Quarantine
International. CDC regulates the importation of dogs and cats into the United States, but current PHS regulations (42 CFR No. 71.51) governing the importation of such animals are insufficient to prevent the introduction of rabid animals into the country. All dogs and cats imported from countries with endemic rabies should be currently vaccinated against rabies as recommended in this Compendium. The person who is importing any unvaccinated dog or cat should notify the appropriate public health official of the state of destination within 72 hours of importation. The conditional admission of such animals into the United States is subject to state and local laws governing rabies. Failure to comply with these requirements should be promptly reported to the Division of Quarantine, CDC, (404) 639-8107.
Interstate. Prior to interstate movement, dogs, cats, and ferrets should be currently vaccinated against rabies in accordance with the Compendium's recommendations (See B.1. Preexposure Vaccination and Management). Animals in transit should be accompanied by a currently valid NASPHV Form #51, Rabies Vaccination Certificate.
Adjunct Procedures. Methods or procedures that enhance rabies
control include the following:
Licensure. Registration or licensure of all dogs, cats, and ferrets may be used to aid in rabies control. A fee is frequently charged for such licensure, and revenues collected are used to maintain rabies- or animal-control programs. Vaccination is an essential prerequisite to licensure.
Canvassing of Area. House-to-house canvassing by
animal-control personnel facilitates enforcement of
vaccination
and licensure requirements.
Citations. Citations are legal summonses issued to owners for violations, including the failure to vaccinate or license their animals. The authority for officers to issue citations should be an integral part of each animal-control program.
Animal Control. All communities should incorporate
stray
animal control, leash laws, and training of personnel
in their
programs.
Postexposure Management. Any animal bitten or scratched by a wild, carnivorous mammal or a bat that is not available for testing should be regarded as having been exposed to rabies.
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, the animal should be placed in strict isolation for 6 months and vaccinated 1 month before being released. Animals with expired vaccinations need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Dogs, cats, and ferrets that are currently vaccinated should be revaccinated immediately, kept under the owner's control, and observed for 45 days.
Livestock. All species of livestock are susceptible to rabies; cattle and horses are among those most frequently infected. Livestock exposed to a rabid animal and currently vaccinated with a vaccine approved by USDA for that species should be revaccinated immediately and observed for 45 days. Unvaccinated livestock should be slaughtered immediately. If the owner is unwilling to have this done, the animal should be kept under close observation for 6 months. The following are recommendations for owners of unvaccinated livestock exposed to rabid animals:
If the animal is slaughtered within 7 days of being bitten, its tissues may be eaten without risk of infection, provided liberal portions of the exposed area are discarded. Federal meat inspectors must reject for slaughter any animal known to have been exposed to rabies within 8 months.
Neither tissues nor milk from a rabid animal should be used for human or animal consumption. However, because pasteurization temperatures will inactivate rabies virus, drinking pasteurized milk or eating cooked meat does not constitute a rabies exposure.
Having more than one rabid animal in a herd or having herbivore-to-herbivore transmission is rare; therefore, restricting the rest of the herd if a single animal has been exposed to or infected by rabies may not be necessary. c. Other Animals. Other animals bitten by a rabid animal
should be euthanized immediately. Animals maintained in USDA-licensed research facilities or accredited zoological parks should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Management of Animals That Bite Humans. A healthy dog, cat, or ferret that bites a person should be confined and observed for 10 days; not administering rabies vaccine during the observation period is recommended. Such animals should be evaluated by a veterinarian at the first sign of illness during confinement. Any illness in the animal should be reported immediately to the local health department. If signs suggestive of rabies develop, the animal should be euthanized, its head removed, and the head shipped under refrigeration (not frozen) for examination of the brain by a qualified laboratory designated by the local or state health department. Any stray or unwanted dog, cat, or ferret that bites a person may be euthanized immediately 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 local health department. 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. Postexposure management of persons should follow the recommendations of the ACIP. **
Control Methods in Wildlife The public should be warned not to handle wildlife. Wild mammals and hybrids that bite or otherwise expose people, pets, or livestock should be considered for euthanasia and rabies examination. A person bitten by any wild mammal should immediately report the incident to a physician who can evaluate the need for antirabies treatment (See current rabies prophylaxis recommendations of the ACIP **).
Terrestrial Mammals. The use of licensed oral vaccines for the mass immunization of free-ranging wildlife should be considered in selected situations, with the approval of the state agency responsible for animal rabies control. Continuous and persistent government-funded programs for trapping or poisoning wildlife are not cost effective in reducing wildlife rabies reservoirs on a statewide basis. However, limited control in high-contact areas (e.g., picnic grounds, camps, or suburban areas) may be indicated for the removal of selected high-risk species of wildlife. The state wildlife agency and state health department should be consulted for coordination of any proposed vaccination or population-reduction programs.
Bats. Indigenous rabid bats have been reported from every state except Hawaii and have caused rabies in at least 28 humans in the United States. However, controlling rabies in bats by programs to reduce their populations is neither feasible nor desirable. Bats should be excluded from houses and adjacent structures to prevent direct association with humans. Such structures should then be made bat-proof by sealing entrances used by bats. Persons with frequent bat contact should be immunized against rabies as recommended by the ACIP. **
The NASPHV COMMITTEE: Suzanne R. Jenkins, VMD, MPH, Chair; Michael Auslander, DVM, MSPH; Robert H. Johnson, DVM; Mira J. Leslie, DVM; Grayson B. Miller, Jr., MD; F. T. Satalowich, DVM, MSPH; Faye E. Sorhage, VMD, MPH. CONSULTANTS TO THE COMMITTEE: Deborah J. Briggs, PhD; James E. Childs, ScD (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention {CDC}); David W. Dreesen, DVM, MPVM; William L. Ingalls, DVM, MS (AVMA {American Veterinary Medical Association} Council on Public Health and Regulatory Veterinary Medicine); Jim McCord, DVM (Animal Health Institute); Robert B. Miller, DVM, MPH (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA); Charles E. Rupprecht, VMD, PhD (CDC); Charles V. Trimarchi, MS. ENDORSED BY: AVMA and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). Address all correspondence to Suzanne R. Jenkins, VMD, MPH, Virginia Department of Health, Office of Epidemiology, P.O. Box 2448, Room 113, Richmond, VA 23218. ** Centers for Disease Control. Rabies Prevention United States, 1991. MMWR 1991;40(No. RR-3)1 19.
Table_1 Note:
To print large tables and graphs users may have to change their printer settings to landscape and use a small font size.
Part II: Vaccines Marketed in the United States and NASPHV* Recommendations
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Product name Produced by Marketed by For use in Dosage Age at Booster recommended Route of
(mL) primary inoculation
vaccination+
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A) INACTIVATED
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TRIMUNE Fort Dodge Animal Fort Dodge Animal Dogs 1 3 mos & Triennially IM&
Health License No. 112 Health Cats 1 1 yr later Triennially IM
ANNUMUNE Fort Dodge Animal Fort Dodge Animal Dogs 1 3 mos Annually IM
Health License No. 112 Health Cats 1 3 mos Annually IM
DURA-RAB 1 ImmunoMed License No. ImmunoMed,Vedco,Inc. Dogs 1 3 mos Annually IM
421 Cats 1 3 mos Annually IM
DURA-RAB 3 ImmunoMed License No. ImmunoMed,Vedco,Inc. Dogs 1 3 mos & Triennially IM
421 Cats 1 1 yr later Triennially IM
RABCINE-3 ImmunoMed License No. Pfizer,Inc. Dogs 1 3 mos & Triennially IM
421 Cats 1 1 yr later Triennially IM
CHAMPION ImmunoMed AgriLaboratories Dogs 1 3 mos & Triennially IM
PROTECTOR RABIES 3 License No. 421 Cats 1 1 yr later Triennially IM
ENDURALL-P Pfizer,Inc. License No. Pfizer,Inc. Dogs 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC@
189 Cats 1 3 mos Annually SC
RABGUARD-TC Pfizer,Inc. License No. Pfizer,Inc. Dogs 1 3 mos & Triennially IM
189 Cats 1 1 yr later Triennially IM
Sheep 1 3 mos Annually IM
Cattle 1 3 mos Annually IM
Horses 1 3 mos Annually IM
DEFENSOR Pfizer,Inc. License No. Pfizer,Inc. Dogs 1 3 mos & Triennially IM or SC
189 Cats 1 1 yr later Triennially SC
Sheep 2 3 mos Annually IM
Cattle 2 3 mos Annually IM
RABDOMUN Pfizer,Inc. License No. Schering-Plough Dogs 1 3 mos & Triennially IM or SC
189 Cats 1 1 yr later Triennially SC
Sheep 2 3 mos Annually IM
Cattle 2 3 mos Annually IM
RABDOMUN 1 Pfizer,Inc. License No. Schering-Plough Dogs 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC
189 Cats 1 3 mos Annually SC
SENTRYRAB-1 Pfizer,Inc. License No. Synbiotics Corp. Dogs 1 3 mos Annually IM
189 Cats 1 3 mos Annually IM
RABVAC 1 Fort Dodge Animal Fort Dodge Animal Dogs 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC
Health License No. 112 Health Cats 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC
RABVAC 3 Fort Dodge Animal Fort Dodge Animal Dogs 1 3 mos & Triennially IM or SC
Health License No. 112 Health Cats 1 1 yr later Triennially IM or SC
Horses 2 3 mos Annually IM
PRORAB-1 Intervet Inc. License Intervet, Inc. Dogs 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC
No. 286 Cats 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC
Sheep 2 3 mos Annually IM
PRORAB-3F Intervet Inc. License Intervet, Inc. Cats 1 3 mos & Triennially IM or SC
No. 286 1 yr later
RM IMRAB 3 Rhone Merieux Merial, Inc. Dogs 1 3 mos & Triennially IM or SC
Inc. License No. 298 Cats 1 1 yr later Triennially IM or SC
Sheep 2 3 mos & Triennially IM or SC
Cattle 2 1 yr later Annually IM or SC
Horses 2 3 mos Annually IM or SC
Ferrets 1 3 mos Annually SC
3 mos
RM IMRAB 1 BOVINE Rhone Merieux Inc. Merial, Inc. Cattle 2 3 mos Annually IM or SC
PLUS License No. 298 Horses 2 3 mos Annually IM or SC
Sheep 2 3 mos & Triennially IM or SC
1 yr later
RM IMRAB 1 Rhone Merieux Inc. Merial, Inc. Dogs 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC
License No. 298 Cats 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC
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B) COMBINATION (inactivated rabies)
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ECLIPSE 3 + FeLV/R Fort Dodge Animal Schering-Plough Cats 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC
Health License No. 112
ECLIPSE 4 + FeLV/R Fort Dodge Animal Schering-Plough Cats 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC
Health License No. 112
Fel-O-Guart 3 + Fort Dodge Animal Fort Dodge Animal Cats 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC
FeLV/R Health License No. 112 Health
Fel-O-Guart 4 + Fort Dodge Animal Fort Dodge Animal Cats 1 3 mos Annually IM or SC
FeLV/R Health License No. 112 Health
FEL-O-VAX PCT-R Fort Dodge Animal Fort Dodge Animal Cats 1 3 mos & Triennially IM
Health License No. 112 Health 1 yr later
RM FELINE 4 + IMRAB Rhone Merieux Inc. Merial, Inc. Cats 1 3 mos & Triennially SC
License No. 298 1 yr later
RM FELINE 3 + IMRAB Rhone Merieux Inc. Merial, Inc. Cats 1 3 mos & Triennially SC
License No. 298 1 yr later
RM EQUINE POTOMAVAC+ Rhone Merieux Inc. Merial, Inc. Horses 1 3 mos Annually IM
IMRAB License No. 298
MYSTIQUE II Bayer Corp. License No. Bayer Corp. Horses 1 3 mos Annually IM
52
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C) ORAL (rabies glycoprotein, live vaccinia vector) - RESTRICTED TO USE IN STATE AND FEDERAL RABIES CONTROL PROGRAMS
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Raboral Rhone Merieux Merial, Inc. Raccoons N/A N/A To be determined N/A
Inc. License No. 298
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* National Association of State Publis Health Veterinarians, Inc.
+ >=3 months of age and revaccinated 1 year later.
& Intramuscularly.
@ Subcutaneously.
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