Issues
Rabies
June 23, 2010: Third Rabid Fox Found in Northern El Paso County
A third fox in the Woodmoor neighborhood in northern El Paso County tested positive for rabies on Monday, June 21. This is the third rabid fox to be identified in the same neighborhood so far in 2010.
The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region responded to a call regarding a dead fox in the neighborhood that did not appear to have other injuries. There were no identified human or pet exposures.
The Health Department is taking steps to alert residents of the Monument area regarding the rabies situation. We are encouraging pet owners to contact their veterinarian regarding any wildlife exposures to their pets -- particularly from a fox.
Click here for a table that lists phone numbers and situations for contacting the Health Department’s Communicable Disease Program, the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, the Colorado Division of Wildlife regional office, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Disease Control Program.
If a pet owner brings an animal into your office with injuries that are indicative of exposure to a wild animal, please call the Communicable Disease Program promptly at 719.578.3220.
It is also important to urge your clients to keep their pets up to date with rabies vaccinations. With increased rabies activity throughout the county, keeping pets up to date on rabies shots is one of the most important interventions to reduce the chance of spreading rabies to humans.
You can also visit the Health Department’s website for more information on rabies: www.elpasocountyhealth.org.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)
New Rabies Vaccine Exemption Rules Effective March 2, 2010
In mid-January, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) finalized rules regarding rabies vaccine exemptions for dogs and cats. To read the article that appeared in the 2010 #1 issue of the CVMA Voice, click here for a PDF version. The law, the rules, and the waiver form are all available on the CDPHE website at www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/zoonosis/rabies. For any other questions regarding the form and how it works, please contact Dr. Elisabeth W. Lawaczeck, State Public Health Veterinarian, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Human Rabies Titers and Booster Checks
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has provided updated information on human titers and boosters. Click here to read the latest.
Updates and Surveillance
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides updates on select zoonotic and vector-borne diseases in Colorado on its website. Diseases of interest include rabies, West Nile virus, plague, tularemia, hantavirus, and tick-borne diseases. A map of year-to-date rabies, including skunk rabies in 10 counties (Arapahoe, Elbert, El Paso, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Morgan, Otero, Prowers, and Yuma), showing skunk rabies rapidly approaching the Front Range, is posted weekly.
Procedures for the Submission of Laboratory Specimens for Rabies Analysis
Two laboratories perform rabies confirmation testing in Colorado: the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado State University Diagnostic Laboratory (CSU). Both utilize the fluorescent rabies antibody (FRA) technique for testing specimens. In addition, the CDPHE conducts intra-cerebral inoculation of weanling mice, on animals involved in human exposure. Local health departments and animal control agencies can be contacted for assistance in submitting specimens. Click here to access the CDPHE procedures.
Update to CDPHE Rabies Prevention and Control Policy
Due to the spread of skunk rabies in Colorado, the CDPHE “Rabies Prevention and Control Policy; Management of Domestic Animals Exposed to Rabies” and accompanying algorithm have been updated. The previous version of the policy regarding 45, 90, or 180 day quarantines of pets exposed to rabies primarily applied to pets exposed to bats. The presence of rabies in terrestrial mammals (non-bat mammals such as skunks, foxes, raccoons, and other carnivores) in Colorado has lead to the need for a stricter policy to more closely mirror the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control from the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians. Please click here for more information.
Update on Equine Encephalitis: Equine Herpes Virus, West Nile Virus, and Rabies
Read the October 2, 2009 update written by Carl Heckendorf, DVM, Colorado Department of Agriculture and Elisabeth Lawaczeck, DVM, State Public Health Veterinarian, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.
Tri-County Health Department
Statewide Rabies Prevention Campaign
The Tri-County Health Department and a coalition of human and animal health agencies have teamed up to launch a 2010 campaign warning of an increase in rabies along the Front Range of Colorado and urging people to have their horses vaccinated against rabies, as well as reminding pet owners to be sure that their dog and cat rabies vaccinations are up-to-date. Click here to read more.
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
AVMA Rabies Policy
AVMA endorses the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control developed by the National Association of State and Public Health Veterinarians... [Click here to read more.]
AVMA Backgrounder on Rabies
Click here for the AVMA Rabies Backgrounder, updated September 1, 2009.
AVMA Collections
Click here for a collection of statistics and information on rabies, including epidemiology/surveillance, zoonosis management, postexposure prophylaxis, vaccination methods, vaccination safety and efficacy, and additional resources.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC offers links for rabies, information for veterinarians, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Click here for more information.
National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV)
The Veterinary Infection Control Committee of the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians has published the following compendia and a model infection control plan on its website. NASPHV Compendia provide standardized national recommendations for key zoonotic disease issues.
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Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) — Animal Industry
For information from CDA on the following, click here.
- Rabies in Horses: Should Horses be Vaccinated in Colorado?
- CO Dept of Public Health and Environment
- Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control (2007)
- Skunk Surveillance Protocol (2009)
- Map of Colorado Skunk Rabies (2009)
Other Links
Colorado Revised Statutes - Rabies Control
Click here for the Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 25, Article 4, Part 6: RABIES CONTROL
Veterinary Guide to Personal Protective Equipment
Click here for the Veterinary Guide to Personal Protective Equipment ompiled by the Rocky Mountain Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Specialized Biodefense Training Group.
Human Rabies Titers and Booster Checks
Click here for information on human titers and boosters from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Click on the icon if you need media talking points on this issue!
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Video
New Skunk Rabies Video for Colorado
El Paso County created an educational skunk rabies video for the public, and recently adapted it for statewide use, with input from DOW, CDPHE, and Colorado Department of Agriculture.
The video "Colorado Skunk Rabies Video for the Public" can be viewed here (click title) or on the CDPHE rabies webpage.
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