The seven month old bull terrier died during the night of May 17 to 18, while under quarantine at a veterinary practice, after biting a family member and the dog of a neighbour. Tests at the Pasteur Institute confirmed rabies infection after positive tests by direct immunofluorescence, ELISA and virus isolation.
The dog had originally been acquired from Hungary in late December 2014, and entered France illegally without vaccination. However, as a result of virus typing, it is believed that the dog became infected with rabies during a visit to Algeria (21st April – 7th May 2015).
As a result local restrictions on the movement of unvaccinated and unidentified dogs, cats and ferrets have been imposed until 27th October 2015. Any vaccinated animals which have been in contact with the dog will be monitored for 6 months, while unvaccinated animals will be euthanased.
The occurrence of rabies in a single imported animal does not affect rabies status of the country or affect normal movements under the Pet Travel Scheme.
BSAVA President, Tricia Colville said: “Once again this case demonstrates the importance of complying with the requirements of pet travel legislation. Anyone acquiring a dog (or a cat or a ferret) from abroad has to be sure that it is fully compliant with the regulations. There is now a minimum age of 12 weeks for rabies vaccination under the Pet travel scheme as well as a requirement to wait 21 days before travel within Europe, this means that any animal under the age of 15 weeks will not be compliant.
“We would urge pet owners in the UK to only take their animals overseas if they are confident that they comply with the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme – and to also consider if travelling with that animal is really in its best interest.”
There are concerns amongst the public and the veterinary profession about the potential for rabies to enter the UK via illegal importation of susceptible animals. UK veterinary surgeons are reminded that responsibility for dealing with illegal imports rests with local authorities; usually Trading Standards or Environmental Health. It may be appropriate for veterinary practices to contact their local authority to ensure that they know how to report such cases before the need arises. In theory all animals entering the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme should have their documentation checked. If a veterinary surgeon in practice finds any suggestion of non-compliance they should inform Defra – pettravel@ahvla.gsi.gov.uk.
Vaccination & rabies in the UK
The BSAVA strongly advocates the use of vaccination as a vital defence against infectious disease in companion animals. These include vaccinations for distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, parvovirus, and leptospirosis. These are called core vaccines, which ALL dogs and cats, regardless of circumstances or location, should receive.
Non-core vaccines are required in only certain circumstances – based on geography, the local environment, or because a particular lifestyle places an animal at risk of contracting specific infections. These include Kennel Cough (vaccination should be considered for dogs before kennelling or other situations where they mix with other dogs, such as training classes or dog shows); canine herpes (for breeding bitches), and leishmanaisis (before travelling to endemic areas), and rabies (for dogs travelling abroad or returning to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme)
Vaccines should not be given needlessly and non-core vaccines should only be provided if necessary; this will be clear after a consultation with your vet. Whilst BSAVA understands that British pet owners may be concerned when hearing about rabies cases in Europe, the current advice is you should only vaccinate your pet for rabies if you intend to travel outside the UK.