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MEMBERS’ FORUM
Things ya oughta know
a CVO update
Members’ Forum &
Annual General Meeting
January 30, 2019, 5 p.m.
Westin Habour Castle, Toronto
For details and registration:
www.cvo.org/MembersForum
MEMBERS FORUM: CVO PRESENTS THINGS YA OUGHTA KNOW
This year's Members' Forum presents an
assortment of some of today’s most important
topics relevant to licensed members and their
practices.
The Members' Forum will provide updates
on the progress of the new model for
the accreditation of veterinary facilities.
All licensed members will be interested
in a report on the legislative reform
recommendations. Also, there will be an
update on strategic risk which covers
emerging and future risk in both the practice
and regulatory environment.
Your input will be welcome during roundtable
discussions on telemedicine, antimicrobial
stewardship, and after hours care. Bring your
questions and share your insight on these hot
topics.
Register at cvo.org/MembersForum to attend
the Members’ Forum and Annual General
Meeting!
Rabies and Reporting Bites
CLARIFICATION ON REQUIREMENT TO REPORT BITES
Regulation 557 of the Health Protection and
Promotion Act requires a veterinarian to report
to the local Medical Officer of Health, as soon
as possible, knowledge of any bite or other
animal contact that may result in rabies in a
person.
The veterinarian determines if the nature
of the animal contact could result in the
transmission of the rabies virus to the person.
For example, transmission can occur with a
bite or scratch that results in an open wound
or in other situations where there is contact
between an animal’s saliva, cerebral spinal
fluid or brain tissue through either an open
wound or mucous membranes.
All of these situations in which rabies virus
transmission to persons could occur must be
reported. If the animal contact does not meet
this criteria for transmission of rabies, then the
veterinarian does not need to report. Animal
blood or urine does not serve as a vehicle for
the transmission of rabies virus.
If the veterinarian determines that the animal
contact could result in transmission of rabies
to the person, they are required to report,
regardless of the likelihood of rabies disease
in the biting animal.
An animal’s rabies vaccination status, clinical
history, behaviour, and current health status
does not preclude the legal requirement for a
veterinarian to report a bite or other contact
that may result in rabies in a person. As a
result, even provoked bites by fully vaccinated
animals must be reported under Regulation
557.
Domestical animal exposure to
rabies:
Under the federal Health of Animals Act,
rabies is still a reportable disease in Canada;
however, the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency (CFIA) is no longer involved in
field response to suspected rabies cases
or exposures. Submission of a sample to
the CFIA rabies laboratory is considered a
“report”. In cases involving potential human
exposure to rabies, sample collection and
submission is the responsibility of the local
public health unit. In cases of potential
domestic animal exposure to rabies,
veterinarians can contact the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for
assistance with risk assessments, sample
submission and post-exposure management
of animals.
Winter 2018
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