*Mortality data in this table are voluntarily reported from 121 cities in the United states, most of which have populations of 100,000 or more. A death is reported by the place of its occurrence and by the week that the death certificate was filed. Fetal deaths are not included.

**Pneumonia and influenza.

† Because of changes in reporting methods in these 3 Pennsylvania cities, these numbers are partial counts for the current week. Complete counts will be available in 4 to 6 weeks.

++Total includes unknown ages.

§Data not available. Figures are estimates based on average of past 4 weke.

It is recommended that all agencies and veterinarians adopt the standard tag system. This practice will aid the administration of local, state, national, and international procedures. Dog license tags should not conflict in shape and color with rabies tags. It is recommended that anodized aluminum rabies tags be no less than 0.064 inches in thickness.

2. Rabies Certificate. All agencies and veterinarians should use the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV) form #50, "Rabies Vaccination Certificate," which can be obtained from vaccine manufacturers.

*Refers only to domestic species of this class of animals.

*All vaccines must be administered intramuscularly at one site in the thigh unless otherwise

specified by the label.

"Three months of age or older and revaccinated 1 year later.

(Continued on page 26)

*Refers only to domestic species of this class of animals.

*All vaccines must be administered intramuscularly at one site in the thigh unless otherwise

specified by the label.

'Three months of age or older and revaccinated 1 year later.

(Continued on page 27)

*Refers only to domestic species of this class of animals. *All vaccines must be administered intramuscularly at one site in the thigh unless otherwise specified by the label.

Three months of age or older and revaccinated 1 year later.

Part III: Principles of Rabies Control

These guidelines have been prepared by the NASPHV for use by government officials, practicing veterinarians, and others who may become involved in certain aspects of rabies control. It is intended that the NASPHV annually review and revise these recommendations as necessary. Standardized control procedures are needed to deal effectively with the public health aspects of rabies. A. Principles of Rabies Control

1. Human Rabies Prevention. Rabies in humans can be prevented either by eliminating exposures to rabid animals or by providing exposed persons with prompt local treatment of wounds combined with appropriate passive and active immunization. The rationale for recommending preexposure and postexposure rabies prophylaxis and details of their administration can be found in the current recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP), of the Public Health Service (1,2). These recommendations, along with information concerning the current local and regional status of animal rabies and the availability of human rabies biologics, are available from state health departments.

2. Domestic Animals. Local governments should initiate and maintain effective programs to remove strays and unwanted animals and to ensure vaccination of all dogs and cats. Since more cases of rabies are now reported annually among cats than among dogs, immunization of cats should be required. Such procedures in the United States have reduced laboratory-confirmed rabies cases in dogs from 6,949 in 1947 to 94 in 1986. The recommended vaccination procedures and the licensed animal vaccines are specified in Parts I and II of the NASPHV's annual compendium.

3. Rabies in Wildlife. The control of rabies among foxes, skunks, raccoons, and other terrestrial animals is very difficult. Selective reduction of these populations when indicated may be useful, but the usefulness of this procedure depends heavily upon the circumstances surrounding each rabies outbreak. (See C. Control Methods in Wild Animals.)

B. Control Methods in Domestic and Confined Animals

1. Preexposure Vaccination and Management. Animal rabies vaccines should be administered only by or under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. Such administration is the only way to assure the public that the animal has been properly immunized. Within 1 month after vaccination, a peak rabies antibody titer is reached, and the animal can be considered immunized. (See Parts I and Il for recommended vaccines and procedures.)

a. Dogs and Cats. All dogs and cats should be vaccinated against rabies beginning at 3 months of age and should be revaccinated in accordance with Part II of this compendium.

b. Livestock. It is not economically feasible, nor is it justified from a public health standpoint, to vaccinate all livestock against rabies. Owners of valuable animals and veterinary clinicians may consider immunizing certain livestock located in areas where wildlife rabies is epizootic or where colonies of bats exist.

c. Other Animals.

(1) Animals Maintained in Exhibits and in Zoological Parks. Captive animals not completely excluded from all contact with local vectors of rabies can become infected with rabies. Moreover, such animals may be incubating rabies when captured. Exhibit animals, especially those carnivores and omnivores having contact with the viewing public, should be quarantined for a minimum of 180 days. Since no rabies vaccine is licensed for use in wild animals, vaccination even with inactivated vaccine is not recommended. Preexposure rabies vaccination of animal workers at such facilities is recommended. This practice may reduce the need for euthanasia of valuable animals for rabies testing after they have bitten a handler.

(2) Wild Animals. Because of the existing risk of rabies in wild animals (especially raccoons, skunks, and foxes), the American Veterinary Medical Association, the NASPHV, and the Conference of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) strongly recommend the enactment of state laws prohibiting the importation, distribution, and relocation of wild animals and wild animals crossbred with domestic dogs and cats. These same organizations continue to recommend the enactment of laws prohibiting the distribution or keeping of wild animals as pets. Moreover, the NASPHV and CSTE recommend that ferrets not be kept as pets since they have severely bitten many people and especially since their bites have mutilated infants. Ferrets are susceptible to rabies and could transmit it. Furthermore, the period of rabies virus shedding in infected ferrets is unknown.

2. Control of Stray Animals. Stray dogs or cats should be removed from the community, especially in areas where rabies is epizootic. Local health department and animal control officials can enforce the pickup of strays more efficiently if owned animals are confined or kept on leash. Strays should be impounded for at least 3 days to give owners sufficient time to reclaim animals and to determine if human exposure has occurred.