Rabies is a fatal viral zoonosis and a serious public health problem (1). The purpose of this compendium is to provide information to veterinarians, public health officials, and others concerned with rabies prevention and control. These recommendations serve as the basis for animal rabies-control programs throughout the United States and facilitate standardization of procedures among jurisdictions, thereby contributing to an effective national rabies-control program. This document is reviewed annually and revised as necessary. Parenteral vaccination procedure recommendations are contained in Part I; Part II details the principles of rabies control; all animal rabies vaccines licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and marketed in the United States are listed in Part III.# Part I: Recommendations for Parenteral Vaccination Procedures
A. Vaccine Administration. All animal rabies vaccines should be restricted to use by, or under the direct supervision of, a veterinarian (2). All vaccines must be administered in accordance with the specifications of the product label or package insert. B. Vaccine Selection. Part III lists all vaccines licensed by USDA and marketed in the United States at the time of publication. New vaccine approvals or changes in label specifications made subsequent to publication should be considered as part of this list. Any of the listed vaccines can be used for revaccination, even if the product is not the same brand as previously administered vaccines. Vaccines used in state and local rabies-control programs should have a 3-year duration of immunity. This constitutes the most effective method of increasing the proportion of immunized dogs and cats in any population (3). No laboratory or epidemiologic data support the annual or bien-nial administration of 3-year vaccines following the initial series. C. Adverse Events. Currently, no epidemiologic association exists between a particular licensed vaccine product and adverse events including vaccine failure. Adverse reactions or rabies in a currently vaccinated animal should be reported to USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Center for Veterinary Biologics at 800-752-6255 or by e-mail to CVB@usda.gov. D. Wildlife and Hybrid Animal Vaccination. The efficacy of parenteral rabies vaccination of wildlife and hybrids (the offspring of wild animals crossbred to domestic animals) has not been established, and no such vaccine is licensed for these animals. Zoos or research institutions may establish vaccination programs, which attempt to protect valuable animals, but these should not replace appropriate public health activities that protect humans. prevented either by eliminating exposures to rabid animals or by providing exposed persons with prompt local treatment of wounds combined with human rabies immune globulin and vaccine. The rationale for recommending preexposure and postexposure rabies prophylaxis and details of their administration can be found in the current recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) (5). 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. or under the direct supervision of, a veterinarian. This ensures that a qualified and responsible person can be held accountable to assure the public that the animal has been properly vaccinated. Within 28 days after primary vaccination, a peak rabies antibody titer is reached and the animal can be considered immunized. An animal is currently vaccinated and is considered immunized if the primary vaccination was administered at least 28 days previously and vaccinations have been administered in accordance with this compendium.

# E. Accidental Human
Regardless of the age of the animal at initial vaccination, a booster vaccination should be administered 1 year later (See Parts I and III for vaccines and procedures). There are no laboratory or epidemiologic data to support the annual or biennial administration of 3-year vaccines following the initial series. Because a rapid anamnestic response is expected, an animal is considered currently vaccinated immediately after a booster vaccination. a. Dogs, Cats, and Ferrets. All dogs, cats, and ferrets should be vaccinated against rabies and revaccinated in accordance with Part III of this compendium. If a previously vaccinated animal is overdue for a booster, it should be revaccinated with a single dose of vaccine. Immediately following the booster, the animal is considered currently vaccinated and should be placed on an annual or triennial schedule depending on the type of vaccine used. The following are recommendations for owners of unvaccinated livestock exposed to rabid animals: 1) If the animal is slaughtered within 7 days of being bitten, its tissues may be eaten without risk of infection, provided that liberal portions of the exposed area are discarded. Federal guidelines for meat inspectors require that any ani-mal known to have been exposed to rabies within 8 months be rejected for slaughter. 2) Neither tissues nor milk from a rabid animal should be used for human or animal consumption (14). Pasteurization temperatures will inactivate rabies virus, therefore, drinking pasteurized milk or eating cooked meat does not constitute a rabies exposure. 3) Having more than one rabid animal in a herd or having herbivore-to-herbivore transmission is uncommon; therefore, restricting the rest of the herd if a single animal has been exposed to or infected by rabies might not be necessary. c. Other Animals. Other mammals bitten by a rabid animal should be euthanized immediately. Animals maintained in USDA licensed research facilities or accredited zoological parks should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

# Management of Animals That Bite Humans.
a. A healthy dog, cat, or ferret that bites a person should be confined and observed daily for 10 days; administration of rabies vaccine is not recommended during the observation period. Such animals should be evaluated by a veterinarian at the first sign of illness during confinement. Any illness in the animal should be reported immediately to the local health department. If signs suggestive of rabies develop, the animal should be euthanized and the head shipped for testing as described in (c) below. Any stray or unwanted dog, cat, or ferret that bites a person may be euthanized immediately and the head submitted for rabies examination. b. Other biting animals, which might have exposed a person to rabies, should be reported immediately to the local health department. Prior vaccination of an animal may not preclude the necessity for euthanasia and testing if the period of virus shedding is unknown for that species. Management of animals other than dogs, cats, and ferrets depends on the species, the circumstances of the bite, the epidemiology of rabies in the area, the biting animal's history, current health status, and potential for exposure to rabies. c. Rabies testing should be done by a qualified laboratory, designated by the local or state health department (15). Euthanasia ( 16) should be accomplished in such a way as to maintain the integrity of the brain so that the laboratory can recognize the anatomical parts. Except in the case of very small animals (e.g., bats) only the head or brain (including brain stem) should be submitted to the laboratory. Any animal or animal part being submitted for testing should be kept under refrigeration (not frozen or chemically fixed) during storage and shipping. C. Control Methods Related to Wildlife.The public should be warned not to handle or feed wild mammals. Wild mammals and hybrids that bite or otherwise expose persons, pets, or livestock should be considered for euthanasia and rabies examination. A person bitten by any wild mammal should immediately report the incident to a physician who can evaluate the need for antirabies treatment (See current rabies prophylaxis recommendations of the ACIP ). State regulated wildlife rehabilitators may play a role in a comprehensive rabies-control program. Minimum standards for persons who rehabilitate wild mammals should include rabies vaccination, appropriate training, and continuing education. Translocation of infected wildlife has contributed to the spread of rabies ( 17); therefore, the translocation of known terrestrial rabies reservoir species should be prohibited.
1. Terrestrial Mammals. The use of licensed oral vaccines for the mass vaccination of free-ranging wildlife should be considered in selected situations, with the approval of the state agency responsible for animal rabies control (7). The distribution of oral rabies vaccine should be based on scientific assessments of the target species and followed by timely and appropriate analysis of surveillance data; such results should be provided to all stakeholders. Continuous and persistent programs for trapping or poisoning wildlife are not effective in reducing wildlife rabies reservoirs on a statewide basis. However, limited control in highcontact areas (e.g., picnic grounds, camps, and suburban areas) may be indicated for the removal of selected high-risk species of wildlife (7). State agriculture, public health, and wildlife agencies should be consulted for planning, coordination, and evaluation of vaccination or population-reduction programs. 2. Bats. Indigenous rabid bats have been reported from every state except Hawaii, and have caused rabies in at least 36 humans in the United States (18). Bats should be excluded from houses and adjacent structures to prevent direct association with humans (19,20). Such structures should then be made bat-proof by sealing entrances used by bats. Controlling rabies in bats through programs designed to reduce bat populations is neither feasible nor desirable.
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