Message Number: YG9399 | New FHL Archives Search
From: sukieferret
Date: 2001-12-14 23:47:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Rabies quarantine laws

hey, a subject I actually know a bit about!

Yes, the rules and regulations vary state by state. A number
simply follow the Compendium of Animal Rabies Control, but
others don't and when they don't they typically are a little stricter --
not much but a bit (except for CA which was much more stirct in
'98 -- don't know about now since haven't followed the
state-by-state thing since '98).

There has actually been more trouble with local authorities and
local emergency room personnel who are unaware of the vast
body of CDC study, and freak out a person over a bite or scratch.
In many states the rules and regs which are followed are close
enough to the Compendium UNLESS the one bitten insists on a
test being done, which can happen if an ignorant local "authority"
or physician panics someone. Then the ferret's (or dog's, or
cat's) person has to go to court to prevent it. Getting that to turn
out right is like having the Compendium followed in the first
place: more easily done if the animal has been vaccinated.

One way to reduce such a risk is to provide local health
authorities, and local emergency rooms with a copy of each of
the three parts of the Compendium of Animal rabies Control
which can be found at http://www.avma.org/pubhlth/rabcont.asp



--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Ferretwise <ferretwise@m...> wrote:
> I do believe they vary state to state--BUt in the case of an
unvaccinated
> animal and a bite-- at east in NH the quarantine is 6 months-
or was in
> 1997 when we had the same for an unknown intake which
perpetrated a bite.
> The protocol was for the ferret to be vet examined then housed
in a secure
> location and rechecked after 14 days-- but then we still needed
to keep
> control of the animal for 6 months then vaccinate.
>
> It may have changed again with the more recent law changes
but I think this
> was a much better alternative to kill & test!
>
> Alicia
>
> Ferret Wise
> www.ferretwise.org