[Ed. Note...The following are excerpts from the California Compendium of Rabies Control, 1998 and a transmittal letter from California Public Health Veterinarian Kevin Reilly. Ommitted are sections which do not pertain directly to the ferret issue, although some dog and cat sections are included for the purpose of comparing policy.]
714/744 P STREET
P.O. BOX 942732
SACRAMENTO, CA 94234-7320
April 29, 1998
To: Interested Parties
Subject: California Compendium of Rabies Control, 1998
Please find enclosed a copy of the California Compendium of Rabies Control, 1998. Several changes have been made to this year's compendium which reflects recent research studies in ferrets, changes in the recommendations for administration of human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG), and the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a third human rabies vaccine for use in the United States. A brief summary of changes is listed below.
Part I – Rabies Control:
B. 2. (b). Introduction of an optional 14-day quarantine period for ferrets that bite humans: In the past, no quarantine period was recognized for biting ferrets. Following a review of new research and changes in the national rabies compendium, The Department decided to recommend the possibility of a 14 day quarantine period for biting ferrets. Since ferrets are currently illegal in California, biting ferrets must be confiscated by the animal control agency and any quarantines must be conducted under the direction of the health officer in an animal control shelter or veterinary hospital. Any ferret quarantined for a human bite must be reported to the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) for disposition following the quarantine. Specific information is provided regarding the research and reasoning for the quarantine period for biting ferrets.
2. Quarantine of Biting Animals (17 CCR 2606):
(a) Dogs and Cats:
Domestic dogs or cats that bite humans must be placed in quarantine under a quarantine order from the local health officer and observed for signs of rabies for ten (10) days, or be euthanized immediately and tested for rabies in an approved public health laboratory. If a quarantined dog or cat is healthy at the end of the ten-day period, there is no risk of a rabies exposure from the original bite wound.
(b) Ferrets:
While pet ferrets are currently illegal in California, bites from these animals do occur. If a ferret bites a human in California, it must be euthanized and tested for rabies or quarantined. Biting ferrets may be quarantined and observed for signs of rabies for fourteen (14) days following a human bite. Biting pet ferrets must be confiscated by the animal control agency and quarantines conducted under the direction of the health officer in an animal control shelter or veterinary hospital. Because pet ferrets are illegal, any ferret quarantined for a human bite must be reported to the California Department of Fish and Game for disposition following the quarantine. If the ferret bite is judged by the local health officer to be unusual or to represent an increased risk for rabies (e.g., unprovoked attacks, bites to the face, or attacks on children) the animal should be euthanized and tested immediately.
(c) Quarantine Considerations:
If an animal under quarantine develops signs suggestive of rabies, the animal should be humanely euthanized and the head immediately submitted for rabies testing through the local health department. Any unwanted or stray animal that bites a human may be euthanized and the head promptly submitted to the local health department for rabies testing. Protocols for submitting samples for rabies testing are available from the local health department. Rabies or other immunizations should not be administered to a dog, cat or ferret during a bite quarantine since adverse reactions may be misinterpreted as signs of rabies.
3. Quarantine of Animals Exposed to Rabies (17 CCR 2606):
(a) Dogs and Cats:
Unvaccinated dogs and cats exposed to a rabid or suspect rabid animal should be euthanized immediately. An alternative to euthanasia is immediate vaccination of the dog or cat and placement of the animal in a strict quarantine for six months (180) days. Quarantine provisions are at the discretion of the local health officer and must preclude contact between the quarantined animal and other animals or the public. Euthanasia is strongly recommended for unvaccinated juvenile animals due to their higher susceptibility to rabies infection. Dogs and cats that are currently vaccinated should be revaccinated immediately and placed in strict quarantine for 30 days.
(b) Ferrets:
Unvaccinated ferrets exposed to a rabid or suspect rabid animal should be euthanized immediately. An alternative to euthanasia is placement of the animal in a strict quarantine for six months (180) days. Ferrets that are currently vaccinated for rabies should be revaccinated immediately and placed in strict quarantine for 30 days. The ferret must be confiscated by the animal control agency and quarantines conducted under the direction of the health officer in an animal control shelter or veterinary hospital. Because pet ferrets are illegal, any ferret quarantined must be reported to the California Department of Fish and Game for disposition following the quarantine. Euthanasia is strongly recommended for unvaccinated juvenile animals due to their higher susceptibility to rabies infection.
(c) Ferret Rabies Vaccination:
Although pet ferrets are currently illegal in California, the Department is aware that owners of illegally kept ferrets may seek veterinary care in some situations. As a public health measure, these animals should be vaccinated against rabies when encountered using the USDA licensed rabies vaccine administered according to vaccinate label instructions (see Part III of the Compendium).