Parameters:
(1) type of animal
(2) symptomatic (abnormal gait, hypersalivation, paralyzed, etc)
(3) species-related risk of rabies
(4) animal size
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Animal
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Management
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healthy pet
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Put the animal in isolation and monitor daily for symptoms. If symptoms occur then proceed to animal analysis (below).
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unhealthy pet
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Proceed to animal analysis below.
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stray or unwanted pet
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Proceed to animal analysis below.
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wild animal that dead
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Proceed to animal analysis below.
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wild animal that been captured
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Proceed to animal analysis below.
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wild animal that is not available
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Consult with public health officials. Low risk exposures from a low risk species may not receive rabies prophylaxis but the default decision is to provide it.
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where:
• Many people are unaware of the paralytic form of rabies and may approach an animal that appears disabled.
• Prior vaccination of an animal may not preclude euthanasia if symptoms develop or the animal cannot be monitored.
Animal analysis:
(1) Contact the local public health authority for the name of a qualified laboratory. Contact the laboratory and make arrangements for sending the diagnostic sample in for analysis. The laboratory may provide a shipping container and recommend a shipper.
(2) Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent exposure while handling the animal. Anyone who has been vaccinated against rabies is preferred. Have a means to safely collect any blood or body fluids so as not to incommode any passerbys. All waste should be carefully placed in a biohazard container and the area and instruments carefully cleaned. The animal carcass should be cremated.
(3) If the animal is still alive then euthanize it in a humane manner, making sure not to harm the head or neck. Do not use a slaughterer's gun since this may damage the brain.
(4) If the animal is small (such as a bat), then the entire animal can be shipped.
(5) Larger animals should be decapitated low in the neck.
(6) The animal or head should be carefully wrapped in a leak-proof plastic bag and shipped with wet-ice or the equivalent in a sealed container. The animal tissue should not be frozen or fixed.
(7) Care should be exercised during the heat of summer and freeze of winter to make sure that the shipment is protected.
(8) Long distance shipping of biohazardous materials is restricted. Special arrangements may need to be made for the safe delivery of the specimen.
where:
• Wet ice is a slurry of crushed ice and water. Pure ice or dry ice can freeze tissue that comes in contact. Shipping refrigerant blocks are a reasonable alternative.
