Handling and Housing of Rabies suspects

Rabies is present in Wake County and throughout North Carolina. Our first consideration in the VH work-place is the health and well-being of hospital personnel and students. Protecting all hospital workers requires diligent communication between all hospital personnel.

Rabies vaccination in North Carolina. The vaccination of all dogs and cats in NC is mandatory (NC Statuette Chapter 130A Part 6. Rabies). Our guidelines for handling suspect animals and animals potentially exposed to rabies virus are dictated by the interpretation of the state statuette. Only animals that have been vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian are considered vaccinated. Initial vaccination should occur when the animal is at least four months of age. The first vaccination is considered current for one year after vaccination. The second vaccination is considered current for 3 years (as long as the appropriate vaccine is used). At the time of vaccination the information is sent to the county health department, and the veterinarian administering the vaccine retains documentation of the vaccination. A copy is provided to the owner. The State of North Carolina does not recognize waivers to this law for medical purposes.

Vaccination Status of Animal Entering the VH

Animals entering the CVM VH must be vaccinated for rabies.
The vaccination status of each animal should be recorded during first contact with the client.
Animals that have not been vaccinated for rabies should be vaccinated by their referring veterinarian prior to entering the VH
Exceptions must be recorded in the patient’s medical record.
Animals that are not vaccinated are managed as Rabies suspects until Rabies vaccination is confirmed.

Rabies Suspects

Place a medical alert in the animal’s ezyVet record.
Place a rabies contact log on the animal’s cage and record the names and phone numbers of all individuals having contact with the animal.
Limit handling of the animal to hospital staff and students that have been vaccinated for rabies.
Patients are to be handled and housed under Restriction status.

The patient you are treating has bitten a CVM VH hospital employee or student.

Please reference to the Accident/Incident/Animal Bite Reporting SOP for handling the personnel injury and reporting.
Please ask the owner to contact the Director of Clinical Services if the animal displays any unusual behavior within the next ten days (aggressive, ataxic, or lethargic). If the client contacts the service, and there is a problem that can be considered compatible with clinical signs of rabies infection please contact the Director of Clinical Services or the Infectious Disease Committee Chair immediately. Please call until you reach someone, don’t just leave a message.
It is imperative to inform the owner that they may receive a call from the animal control officer.
If the animal is not currently vaccinated (or the vaccination date has passed without vaccination); at the discretion of the animal control officer the animal will either be confined at the owners expense at a local veterinary clinic or designated animal shelter. We do not board animals during this confinement period, and an animal that is under confinement must not be released (discharged) back to the owner until the end of the confinement period. Related discussions should be between the animal control officer and the client. We are there to support the client, but have no role in the decision making process.
If the animal is considered dangerous and a public health threat, or the client is uncooperative the animal control officer can recommend euthanasia and testing. Recommend to your clients that they fully cooperative with animal control personnel. They will make no exceptions, and will follow the law.
If the attacking animal is euthanized, the animal will have to be placed in a biohazard bag, placed in a cooler, with blue ice (not frozen), and transported to the state rabies laboratory. Animal control may transport the animal. If the animal control officer is not immediately available for transport, the animal will need to be stored in the Autopsy cooler, an appropriate tag placed on the animal, and the rabies lab submission form completed. Communication between the attending clinician and the Autopsy lab (36626) is paramount. We need to ensure that the animal is processed and taken to the State Rabies laboratory.
If an animal has bitten someone, and dies while in our hospital.
- Contact the technician supervisor for the service in which you are working.
- Place the animal in the necropsy room cooler, as note above.
- Do not release the animal back to the owner. That is a decision that will be made by Raleigh Animal Control.

Patient has been bitten Decision Tree

decision tree

Animal confinement for assessment for Rabies

The VH does not quarantine animals being watched for Rabies exposure. The decision to confine or euthanize an animal is made by animal control personnel. At no time should a clinician advise a client about the disposition of their animal. Animals may be confined at the discretion of the animal control officer in accordance with State Epidemiology office directives. If the animal dies within the confinement period, regardless of whether it is euthanized, it must be tested by the state Rabies laboratory.
If the animal bite occurred in one county, but the animal resides in another, the animal control officer in the county where the bite occurred is responsible for contacting animal control in the other county. So leave the correspondence, and decision making to Raleigh Animal Control.
In all circumstances the client must be asked to sign the VH Rabies information waiver form that documents that you provided them with information about the health risks associated with potential exposure to rabies virus and the various options for the animal.

Animal Control in Wake County

Responsibility for Animal Control in Wake County is dispersed between municipalities. The VH is within the functional working area of Raleigh Animal Control. Our technician supervisors are our primary points of contact with Raleigh Animal Control. However, if you need information from an animal control officer, first identify the municipality in which the animal was found or the incident occurred and then call animal control in the appropriate municipality. In Raleigh, Cary, Garner, and Holly Springs you will initially be talking to a police dispatcher only interested in the address at which the animal was found.

Wake County Animal Control: 919 212-7387
City of Raleigh Animal Control: 919 829-1911
Cary Animal Control: 919 319-4517
Holly Springs: 919 557-9111
Garner Animal Control: 919 773-8524

Additional Animal Control Contact information for surrounding counties: http://www.ncarca.org/agencylistings.asp

Animal Control for Other Surrounding Counties

Durham County 919-560-0630
Franklin County 919-496-8100
Granville County 919-603-1339
Johnston County 919-934-8474
Halifax County 252-583-5021
Harnett County 910-893-2191
Lee County 919-718-4641
Nash County 252-459-9855
New Hanover County 910-798-7500
Orange County 919-245-2075