Current through Vol. 42, No. 1, September 16, 2024
(a) Any dog, cat,
or ferret that has never been vaccinated against rabies and is exposed to a
rabid animal shall be:
(1) Euthanized
immediately either by a veterinarian of the owner's choice, or the local animal
control officer; or
(2) Placed in
strict quarantine and observed for a period of four (4) months for dogs and
cats or six (6) months for ferrets under the supervision of a licensed
veterinarian, either at a veterinary facility or a recognized animal control
facility. The exposed animal shall be immediately vaccinated against rabies
upon entry into quarantine and then given booster vaccinations at the third and
eighth week of the quarantine period. For animals less than 16 weeks of age at
the time of entry into rabies exposure quarantine, additional vaccinations may
be necessary to ensure that the animal receives at least two vaccinations at or
after the age prescribed by the USDA for the vaccine administered.
(b) Any dog or cat that is overdue
for a booster vaccination, and has verifiable rabies vaccination documentation
of receiving a USDA-licensed rabies vaccine at least once previously by or
under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian, shall be re-vaccinated and
isolated, by leashing or confinement under the owner's supervision, for a
period of at least 45 days from exposure date. Ferrets that are overdue for
rabies booster vaccination shall be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the
Department, taking into consideration factors such as the severity of exposure,
time elapsed since last vaccination, number of previous vaccinations, and
current health status to determine the need for euthanasia or immediate booster
vaccination and isolation for a period of at least 45 days from exposure
date.
(c) Any dog or cat that is
overdue for a booster vaccination and without appropriate verifiable rabies
vaccination documentation of having received a USDA-licensed rabies vaccine at
least once by or under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian shall be:
(1) Treated as unvaccinated by the Department
and either euthanized as described in (a) of this section; or
(2) Immediately given a booster vaccination
and placed in strict quarantine for a period of four (4) months under the
supervision of a licensed veterinarian and follow the vaccine scheduled
described in (a) this section; or
(3) Alternatively, prior to rabies booster
vaccination, the attending veterinarian may request guidance from the state
public health authority in the possible use of prospective serologic
monitoring. Such monitoring would entail collecting paired blood samples to
document prior vaccination by providing evidence of an anamnestic response to
booster vaccination. If an adequate anamnestic response is documented the
animal can be considered to be overdue for booster vaccination and observed for
forty-five (45) days from the time from exposure. If there is inadequate
evidence of an anamnestic response the animal is considered unvaccinated and
should be placed in strict quarantine and follow
310:599-3-6 for unvaccinated
domestic animals.
(A) Dogs or cats eligible
for serologic confirmation must remain in quarantine at the attending
veterinarian's facility until results of the prospective serologic monitoring
protocol have been verified and approved by the state public health
authority.
(B) Dogs or cats
eligible for serologic confirmation should receive a booster vaccination in
accordance with the prospective serologic monitoring protocol.
(d) Any livestock or
equine animal which is not currently vaccinated and is exposed to a rabid
animal will be managed according to the most current Compendium of Animal
Rabies Control published by the National Association of State Public Health
Veterinarians, Inc. and any State Department of Agriculture guidelines that may
apply.
Added at 14 Ok Reg 3581,
eff 7-18-97 (emergency); Added at 15 Ok Reg 2367, eff 6-11-98; Amended at 17 Ok
Reg 2945, eff 7-13-00
