Measure to prevent Spread of Rabies Okayed by Regulations Review Committee

A regulation proposed by the state Department of Agriculture that would help prevent people from being exposed to rabies from animals present or on display in areas accessible to the public has been approved by the state legislature’s Regulations Review Committee.

“This new regulation is a sensible measure that will help prevent the transmission of rabies to humans from animals on display at fairs, petting zoos, municipal animal pounds, animal shelters, nature centers, riding stables, pony rides and other public venues. Because animals that have received a rabies vaccination pose no threat to humans, the regulation properly focuses on minimizing the possibility of people coming in contact with unvaccinated animals at public events or institutions open to the public,” said Representative O’Neill, a Regulations Review Committee member.

The new Agriculture Department regulation:

·         Requires animals that have not received current rabies vaccinations and are present in public settings to be securely separated from visitors to minimize the possibility of rabies transmission. Unvaccinated animals would have to be confined in areas secured by double fencing, plexiglas or similar barriers to prevent direct contact with humans.

·         Requires owners, keepers or handlers of currently unvaccinated animals present in areas accessible to the public to keep written records containing contact information for anyone who has had physical contact with those animals. The information must include names, addresses, and telephone numbers of anyone who had direct contact with an unvaccinated animal as well as the date the contact took place. The records must be maintained for six months after the contact occurs.

Rabies is a potentially fatal disease that is transmitted from animals to human beings – usually when a person is bitten by an infected animal. Cats, dogs and cattle account for nearly 90 percent of rabies cases involving domestic animals, with horses, mules, sheep, goats and ferrets making up the remaining cases. Among wild animals, the disease is most often reported in skunks and raccoons, Representative O’Neill said.

The state legislature’s Regulations Review Committee is responsible for reviewing regulations proposed by state agencies and approving them before they are implemented to ensure the new rules, which have the force of law, do not contravene the legislative intent, or conflict with current state or federal laws, or state or federal constitutions.