CDC Proposes New Guidelines for Dog Imports to Prevent Rabies Outbreaks
In a move to safeguard public health, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is proposing significant changes to the importation of dogs into the United States. The current guidelines, last updated in 1956, are being revisited due to the ongoing risk of rabies transmission from countries where the virus remains endemic.
According to the CDC, dog rabies was successfully eliminated in the United States in 2007. However, it continues to be a significant problem in more than 100 countries worldwide. As a result, the proposed updates aim to prevent the reintroduction of dog rabies into the United States.
“The proposed updates aim to protect the public’s health by preventing the reintroduction of dog rabies into the United States,” said CDC spokesperson David Daigle. “These updates would establish an importation system designed to reduce fraud and improve the U.S. government’s ability to verify that imported dogs have met U.S. entry requirements.”
While human cases of rabies in the United States are rare, the virus claims the lives of approximately 59,000 people globally each year, mostly children bitten by infected dogs. In 99% of cases, exposure to infected dogs is the cause of human rabies deaths worldwide.
Rabies is a fatal disease that infects the brain and nervous system. Once the virus enters the body through an animal bite, it travels through the nerves to the brain, where it causes inflammation. By the time symptoms appear, the disease is usually fatal.
The proposed regulation by the CDC introduces several safeguards to prevent rabies from being imported into the United States. Dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries would be allowed entry with written documentation proving they have lived in a low-risk setting for the past six months.
For dogs vaccinated in the US and returning from high-risk countries, their owners would need to bring them to a CDC quarantine station at the airport. They would also be required to have a rabies vaccination form completed and signed by a veterinarian approved by the US Department of Agriculture.
The most stringent restrictions apply to dogs imported from high-risk countries that have been vaccinated abroad. In these cases, owners would need a valid rabies vaccination form completed by a licensed veterinarian and signed by an official government veterinarian from the exporting country. Upon arrival in the US, the dogs would have to be examined and revaccinated at a CDC-registered animal care facility.
To gather public feedback on the proposed updates, the CDC has opened the guidelines for online comment until September 8. It is important to note that the changes only affect dog imports and not cat imports, as cats are not required to have proof of rabies vaccination.
Rabies can be an expensive virus to treat, with the investigation and administration of post-exposure prophylaxis treatment for an infected dog costing state governments over $400,000 in 2019.
The CDC’s decision to revise the guidelines follows the temporary suspension of dog imports from over 100 high-rabies-risk countries until July 31, 2024. The suspension, implemented in 2021, was prompted by cases of imported dog rabies and a significant increase in falsified rabies vaccination certificates.
While the proposed restrictions face challenges from animal rights advocacy groups and some representatives, the CDC maintains that they are crucial to preventing the re-emergence of rabies. “There is a direct public health risk to people who interact with inadequately vaccinated dogs imported from countries with high risk for dog rabies,” said CDC spokesperson David Daigle.
As the CDC’s proposed updates continue to be reviewed and refined, it remains a priority to strike a balance between protecting public health and ensuring the well-being of animals, as well as considering the potential impact on international rescue efforts.