​Rabies Awareness Around the World

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Traveling around the world is arguably the most gratifying experience a person can have in their life.  When traveling abroad the memories will last a lifetime. Being prepared for unexpected emergency situations will allow you to have a relaxing, memorable and safe travel experience. While not limited to these specific regions, in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America, rabies in dogs is still a major dilemma.  

According to the Veterinary Clinical Director of Assist America Charles Schwirck, “the best way to prevent or avoid contact with animals that may be affected with rabies, is to avoid contact with animals all together, especially in areas where rabies is endemic”.

How does one know if an animal may be suspect of rabies?  When considering wild animals such as raccoons or skunks, any behavior that is abnormal is an indicator of possible infection. An example of this may be a normally nocturnal animal that is out in the day time.  When traveling as a precaution always avoid contact with stray or feral dogs and cats.

According to Dr. Schwirck, when travelling with your own pet, make sure their vaccinations are up to date.  Make sure you have proper restraint (leashes, harnesses, etc) for them and make sure they have proper training to respond to your commands.  It is also helpful to have them adequately socialized so that they do not get too worked up in situations where there may be other animals around.  Avoid taking them to areas where you cannot properly protect them from other animals that may be present.  

As far as domestic animals, any animal that is unvaccinated (and even some that are) that are exhibiting neurologic signs (which can range from the classic drooling raging behavior to just being very dull and obtunded) should be considered suspect of being infected.  Unfortunately by the time they are showing signs of rabies, it is too late and they will likely not live for more than 7-10 days following the onset of signs. 

•    For a canine or felines bitten by a rabid animal 
o    If unvaccinated, the patient should be euthanized.
o    If the owner declines, the patient should be placed in 6-month quarantine and vaccinated against rabies at the start of the quarantine or one month before release. 
o    An up-to-date, vaccinated patient should be revaccinated immediately and placed in 45-day quarantine.

If a human has exposure to rabies, it is critical for a previously unvaccinated individual to receive treatment as soon as possible.  In most developed countries, there are the same rabies vaccines available for people and animals that there are in the US.  The less developed countries of course may have limited vaccines and vaccine supplies.  It is most important for people travelling and the pets that travel with them that they receive the appropriate vaccinations for the locations they are travelling to and the potential exposures in those locations prior to travelling to those places.

According to the CDC, “If you are traveling to a country where rabies is widespread, you should consult your doctor about the possibility of receiving preexposure vaccination against rabies”. This is especially the case if you will be visiting remote areas where medical care is difficult to obtain or may be delayed, and if you plan on staying for longer than a month.  Remember the longer your stay the greater your chances that you will encounter an affected animal. The preexposure vaccines available in the United states are Human Diploid Cell Vaccine (HDCV)Imovax® Rabies (Preexposure or Postexposure) and Purified Chick Embryo Cell Vaccine (PCEC)RabAvert® (Preexposure or Postexposure).


Dr. Charles Schwirck, DVM
Consulting Veterinarian

Posted: 5/6/2016 2:04:58 PM