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PUBLIC HEALTH
AN UPDATE FROM THE MINISTRY ON RABIES IN ONTARIO
By Dr. Maureen Anderson Lead Veterinarian, Animal Health & Welfare Veterinary Science Unit, OMAFRA
Since December 2015, a total of 397 cases of raccoon rabies have been confirmed in Hamilton and surrounding areas, primarily in raccoons and skunks, as well as 2 stray cats, 1 red fox and 1 llama. In the same timeframe, 16 cases of fox rabies have been confirmed in Perth, Huron and Waterloo counties, including 6 bovines, 9 skunks and 1 red fox. Although raccoon rabies cases continue to be detected on a regular basis, through surveillance testing performed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry( MNRF), the number of cases is on a downwards trend( 119 in 2017 vs 255 in 2016).
Veterinarians continue to play a crucial role in rabies response in Ontario, as they should always be the first point of contact for animal owners with concerns about their animals’ health, including potential rabies exposures. Animal owners who call OMAFRA directly concerning potential rabies exposures will be advised to contact their local veterinarian. Veterinarians are welcome to contact OMAFRA for assistance with risk assessments, sample submission or postexposure management, as needed.
The OMAFRA rabies website includes detailed information about rabies response in Ontario. It has a section for owners and a more detailed section for veterinarians, including a rabies response training module and a risk assessment flowchart. OMAFRA also posts the latest surveillance maps from the MNRF as they are released. The maps can also be found on the Ontario Animal Health Network( OAHN) website and social media.
Veterinarians need to remain vigilant for cases of domestic animal exposure to potentially rabid animals. There continues to be a risk of incursion of fox rabies from northern regions of the province and of raccoon rabies from New York State. Contact with rabid bats also remains a risk in all regions. The best protection against rabies for both domestic animals and people is to avoid contact with potentially rabid wildlife and to keep domestic animals up-to-date on rabies vaccination. Rabies vaccination for dogs and cats is a regulatory requirement in most jurisdictions of the province, and should also be considered for livestock in high-risk areas. Vaccination requirements are being updated as of July 1, 2018; for details, please refer to materials provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
One-year inactivated rabies vaccines for dogs and cats to be phased out
In January 2018, the Canadian Centre for Veterinary Biologics, Canadian Food Inspection Agency advised the provincial and territorial Chief Veterinary Officers that inactivated rabies vaccines with a one-year duration of immunity( DOI) claim for dogs and cats will no longer be imported and offered for sale as of March 31, 2019. Three-year vaccines may continue to be marketed with a one-year claim for non-dog-and-cat-species( i. e. livestock) for which DOI beyond one year has not been established.
Remember that all three-year vaccines for dogs and cats available in Canada require an initial booster at 12 months from first vaccination before the three-year DOI claim applies. The DOI for animals that receive their initial booster late or lapse in their revaccination schedule every three years thereafter has not been definitively established.
Vaccination according to the label directions is recommended; however, there is evidence that dogs and cats that are out-of-date have an equally robust antibody response to booster vaccination as those that are upto-date( Moore et al., JAVMA 2015). These scenarios should be evaluated on a caseby-case basis, taking into account all other factors that may affect the animal’ s response to vaccination.
Important reminder!
If you suspect a domestic animal may have recently been exposed to rabies, it should be revaccinated as soon as possible regardless of its current vaccination status. Revaccination should occur within 7 days of exposure particularly if the offending animal is not available for testing. Even currently vaccinated animals require this post-exposure booster to avoid the need for a precautionary confinement period. Veterinarians do not need to wait 10 days to vaccinate such an animal as the 10 day waiting period for vaccination only applies to a pet that has bitten a person, not a pet that has been bitten by or otherwise exposed to a potentially rabid animal.
For more information on rabies response in Ontario for veterinarians, including performing risk assessments, rabies testing and postexposure management for domestic animals, as well as the latest terrestrial rabies case maps, visit the OMAFRA rabies website at http:// www. omafra. gov. on. ca / english / food / inspection / ahw / rabies. htm
For more information on the CVO practice standards for rabies vaccination programs, visit http:// cvo. org / CVO / media / College-of- Veterinarians-of-Ontario / Resources % 20 and % 20Publications / Professional % 20 Practice % 20Standards / PPSRabies2015. pdf
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