The CDC introduces new regulations to safeguard against rabies when importing dogs into the US.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced new regulations for bringing pets into the States to prevent canine rabies. From August 1st, pets will need to appear in good health upon arrival, be at least 6 months old, be microchipped, and show a "CDC Dog Import Form" receipt completed online within two to 10 days before arrival. These rules apply to all pets, including service animals and those born in America but traveling back from other countries.
The previous "CDC Dog Import" permits will expire on August 31st, the CDC confirmed. Additional requirements might depend on where the animal has visited in the past six months or where it was vaccinated. The CDC has provided travel checklists for its domestic pets and those from high-risk countries on its website.
Dog rabies was eliminated in the US in 2007, but according to the CDC, the disease still exists in over 100 nations. In spite of this, unvaccinated pets can still contract the virus from wildlife. In the US, rabies primarily affects wild animals such as bats, raccoons, foxes, and skunks, but in certain regions around the world, particularly Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, it remains a significant concern in dogs.
"For dogs arriving from high-risk countries, they must be vaccinated against rabies," the CDC announced.
Other potential requisites include having titers drawn from blood serology tests before entering the US. These examinations can track if a dog has antibodies in its blood after having been vaccinated against rabies. Titer results are valid for the dog's life if it keeps up with its booster vaccines.
"If your dog's rabies vaccination ends before the dog gets a booster shot, your dog must have another titer drawn at least 30 days afterward to be considered for importation," the CDC advised on its website.
If a pet doesn't have the required titer results when arriving, it must be quarantined at a kennel for 28 days or until titer results are submitted for review.
The CDC asked people traveling with their dogs to use "DogBot," a personalized questioning tool on its website to determine which rules they would need to comply with relying on their travel dates, the pet's origin, and the place it was inoculated. The CDC advises travelers to plan their future trips considering these requirements ahead of time.
The animal advocacy group Animal Wellness Action's Director of International, Jennifer Skiff, criticized the new rules.
"Rabies vaccinations, health certificates, and of course microchips make sense," she said.
"But the CDC is demanding serology titers," Skiff continued. "One of many problems with that - besides being an extensive and costly requirement - is that the agency is insisting on these tests being done at a CDC-approved laboratory, and not every country has a CDC-approved facility."
The American Veterinary Medical Association has endorsed the CDC's updated rules.
"The AVMA endorses the CDC's efforts to improve pet importation standards and is pleased to see the launch of this new regulation that will help protect public health and improve canine wellbeing," President Dr. Rena Carlson said in a statement on June 15.
These updates "aim to protect the public's health by preventing the reintroduction of canine rabies into the United States," CDC spokesperson David Daigle said when the proposed rules were introduced last year. "These updates would create an importation system designed to reduce deception and enhance the capacity of the U.S. government to confirm that imported pets have satisfied U.S. entry requirements."
Read also:
- No food or coffee for three days, just juice, juice, juice instead: a field report
- How to get rid of the flu if you have caught it
- Doctors warn of penis fractures and other injuries during the Christmas season
- Corona or flu epidemic? These pathogens are making us cough and sniffle right now
The CDC-approved laboratory is a requirement for obtaining serology titer results.The subsequent titer examinations are necessary if a dog's rabies vaccination expires before its booster shot.
Source: edition.cnn.com
