Today I received a copy of the 1998 Compendium from Suzanne R.  Jenkins,
VMD, MPH, Chair of the Compendium Committee of the National Association of
State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc.  The Official 1998 Compendium
contains the language previously published in the Ferret Mailing List Issue
Number 2120, Topic 9, dated 10 November 1997.  The items pertaining to
ferrets are quoted below.
 
                 "Compendium of Animal Rabies Control, 1998*
     National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc.
 
Part III: Rabies Control
  A. Principles of Rabies Control
     2. Domestic Animals:  Local governments should initiate and maintain
effective programs to ensure vaccination of all dogs, cats and ferrets and
to remove strays and unwanted animals.
 B. Control methods in Domestic and Confined Animals
    1. Preexposure Vaccination and Management
       (a) Dogs, Cats and Ferrets
           All dogs, cats and ferrets should be vaccinated against rabies at
3 months of age and revaccinated in accordance with Part II of this
Compendium.  If a previously vaccinated animal is overdue fo a booster, it
should be revaccinated with a single dose of vaccine and placed on an annual
or triennial schedule depending on the type of vaccine used.
 
    2. Stray Animals
       Stray dogs, cats or ferrets should be removed from the community.
Local health departments and animal control officials can enforce the
removal of strays more effectively if owned animals are confined or kept on
a 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
occured.
   3. Quarantine
      (b) Interstate.  Prior to interstate movement, dogs, cats, and ferrets
should be currently vaccinated against rabies in accordance with the
Compendium's recommendations (see B.1.  Preexposure Vaccination and
Management).  Animals in transit should be accompanied by a currently valid
NASPHV Form #51, Rabies Vaccination Certificate.
    4. Adjunct Procedures
       Methods or procedures which enhance rabies control include:
       (a) Licensure.  Registration or licensure of all dogs, cats and
ferrets may be used to aid in rabies control.  A fee is frequently charged
for such licensure and revenues collected are used to maintain rabies and
animal control programs.  Vaccination is an essential prerequisite to
licensure.
    5. Postexposure Management
       ANY ANIMAL BITTEN OR SCRATCHED BY A WILD, CARNIVOROUS MAMMAL OR A BAT
THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR TESTING SHOULD BE REGARDED AS HAVING BEEN EXPOSED
TO RABIES.
       (a) Dogs, Cats and Ferrets
           Unvaccinated dogs, cats and ferrets exposed to a rabid animal
should be euthanized immediately.  If the owner is unwilling to have this
done, the animal should be placed in strict isolation for 6 months and
vaccinated 1 month before being released.  Animals with expired vaccinations
need to be evaluated on a case by case basis.  Dogs, cats and ferrets that
are currently vaccinated should be revaccinated immediately, kept under the
owner's control, and observed for 45 days.
    6.  Management of Animals that Bite Humans
        A healthy dog, cat or ferret that bites a person should be confined
and observed for 10 days; it is recommended that rabies vaccine not be
administered 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, its head removed, and the head shipped under refrigeration (not
frozen) for examination of the brain by a qualified laboratory designated by
the local or state health department.  Any stray or unwanted dog, cat or
ferret that bites a person may be euthanized immediately and the head
submitted as described above for rabies examination.  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, and the biting animal's
history, current health status, and potential for exposure to rabies."
 
The 1998 Compendium was received with a cover letter dated December 1,
1997,from Dr. Jenkins which explained the Compendium changes from 1997 to
1998.  The portion of the cover letter pertaining to ferrets is quoted below:
"In Part III: Rabies Control, ferrets are now included with dogs and cats in
all recommendations regarding vaccination, removal of strays, preexposure
vaccination and management, interstate movement, licensure, postexposure
management, and management of animals that bite humans.  These changes were
unanimously agreed to by the committee after hearing a report on the final
rabies viral study on ferrets in which a variety of bat rabies virus strains
were used to infect ferrets (see addendum #1)" [Not included in this post]
"Also in Part III, the statement "in areas where rabies is epidemic," was
removed from B.1.(b) Livestock and 2. Stray Animals because the committee
agreed the recommendations in these two sections applied whether rabies was
epidemic or not."
 
"Changes were also made to Part III.  B.5.(c) which refers to the
postexposure management of other animals.  A sentence which addressed
animals currently vaccinated with a vaccine approved for use in that species
was removed because the only species to which it applied was the ferret.  A
sentence was added to address special situations where valuable animals are
routinely maintained in well managed confinement."
 
The sentence deleted from the 1998 Compendium which had been contained in
paragraph B.5.(c) OTHER ANIMALS, of the 1997 Compendium was: "Such animals
currently vaccinated with a vaccine approved by USDA for that species may be
revaccinated immediately and placed in strict isolation for at least 90
days." The added sentence states: "Animals maintained in USDA licensed
research facilities or accredited zoological parks should be evaluated on a
case by case basis."
 
James Pembrook Scott
[Posted in FML issue 2149]