DIRECTORATE: VETERINARY SERVICES
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
MANUALS:
Rabies Control:
Outbreak Investigation
SOP – Rabies Outbreak investigation
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND
ENVIRONMENT
DIRECTORATE VETERINARY SERVICES
PROCEDURES MANUAL: RABIES OUTBREAK
INVESTIGATION
ISSUE NO:
Rabies
Investigation 01
Oct 13
EFFECTIVE DATE:
1 November 2013
DOCUMENT NO:
COMPILED BY:
Drs J Walters and TC Katsande
REVISED
Animal Health
APPROVED BY:
Director: Animal Health
NO OF PAGES
9
A. BACKGROUND / PURPOSE:
Rabies is an important zoonotic disease that occurs in wild and domestic mammals including
humans. Dogs and cats are the most common species affected by the disease and
mainly responsible for transmitting it to humans. The disease however has a diverse variety
of animal hosts, including bats,
jackals,
dogs, mongoose, cats, cattle and other
domestic farm animals, and other wild animals. The disease is fatal and once affected
animals or humans start to show clinical signs there is no effective treatment. This makes the
investigation of any suspected rabies cases, both with and without human contact, an
absolute priority that has to be attended to by the state veterinarian personally no matter
what time of day (taking own personal security into consideration) or whatever other prior
arrangements have been made.
The purpose of this document is to describe how to conduct a Rabies Outbreak Investigation
and to ensure compliance with the Animal Diseases Act of 1984 (No 35 of 1984). The
investigation is a very important part of the combating and control of rabies. The Gauteng
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Veterinary Services is responsible for
investigating all suspect animal cases of Rabies, so if a rabies case is suspected, then the
State Veterinarian responsible for that area must be contacted as this is a controlled disease
under the Animal Diseases Act 35 of 1984.
B. SCOPE:
This procedure covers the investigation and reporting of all suspected rabies cases by
Gauteng Veterinary Services in Gauteng Province. The procedure is meant to be an aid to
the person investigating a possible rabies case from a dog, cat or any other domestic or wild
SOP – Rabies Outbreak investigation
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animal bite of a human or other pets or livestock that is out of the ordinary and is therefore
suspicious of Rabies. It is only a guide and as such should be used with common sense. For
simplicity, this document will mainly refer to rabies cases of dogs and cats. . However
the same principles apply to all other domestic and wild animals mentioned above that
can be affected with rabies.,
C. QUALIFICATIONS, ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:
State Veterinarians in the Animal Health Regulatory sub-program in consultation with the
Deputy Director-Animal Health Regulatory are primarily responsible for investigating any
suspected rabies disease cases. Experienced Animal Health Technicians can also conduct
the investigation under the direct supervision of the State Veterinarian. Other State
Veterinarians within the Directorate of Animal Health or the Branch of Veterinary Services
can also be called upon to investigate suspected rabies cases if necessary.
All personnel responsible for investigation of suspected rabies cases must have been
vaccinated against rabies in the last 3 years with the registered product. It is the
responsibility of all field personnel to ensure that their rabies vaccination is up to date.
State Veterinarians and Animal Health Technicians involved in the investigation of Rabies
cases must have a valid registration with the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC).
D. FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND STAKEHOLDERS:
Digital pens and new digital pen forms (where applicable) and SR1 form
Clip boards
Carbon papers
Restraining equipment (Muzzles, dog and cats catching poles)
Appropriate Protective clothing and footwear
Syringes and needles
Euthanase/Euthapent
Tranquilisers e.g Xylazine
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E. PROCEDURES:
E1
Investigation of a Dog or Animal Bite
1.
Any suspect case of Rabies must be attended to by the state veterinarian who is
responsible for the area in which the case has occurred. However, if the state
veterinarian of the area is not available, any state veterinarian in Gauteng veterinary
Services shall assume full responsibility of the investigation. If any of the duties during
the investigation are conducted by other officials, the state veterinarian still remains
fully responsible for the investigation and has to check that all steps are followed.
2.
The officials should consult the updated Rabies Manual (Rabies Guidelines for the
Medical and veterinary Professionals) for all information pertaining to management of
rabies in animals and humans.
3.
Cases of suspected rabies shall be handled as follows:
a.
The state veterinarian in the area must be informed of any suspected case
b.
The state veterinarian must speak personally to the person reporting the case to
get as many details as possible as in section E1 4 below.
c.
The state veterinarian must personally contact the following people and get their
names, address and telephone numbers:
i.
The owner of the suspect animal
ii.
Any person who was in contact with or was bitten by the suspect animal
iii.
Any witnesses
iv.
The private veterinarian/SPCA involved (if there was such involvement)
v.
Any other state veterinarian or animal health technician who was
involved
vi.
Private clinician (medical doctor) or district medical doctor who treated
the patient.
vii.
The SPCA or police if they captured the suspect animal or if the animal
needs to be captured
4.
Obtain a detailed history of the circumstances around the bite using Rabies
Investigation Form paying attention to the questions below and record all findings in
detail
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a.
Has the animal been showing abnormal behavior just prior to (1 day or 2
days before), during or after the attack? – establish if it is a normally vicious
dog and therefore not necessarily a rabid dog. A simple guideline is “when
a wild or vicious animal becomes tame or a tame animal becomes wild
or vicious
b.
Determine the circumstances of what happened when the person was bitten
E.g. Child going into a yard to fetch a ball; teasing of dog, bitch on heat; dog
interrupted while eating, etc.
c.
Determine the rabies vaccination status of the dog or cat. To be immune,
it should have been vaccinated with rabies vaccine at least twice, preferably
with the last vaccination having been administered within the last 3 years.
d.
Request to see the proof of vaccination.
e.
Determine if the dog is a stranger / stray to the community. A strange dog
which comes in to a community and bites a person has a higher weighting or
chance of being rabid.
f.
Details of any contact animals and whether the animal was roaming around.
(Are there any stories of it having bitten other dogs / people or livestock
recently?)
g.
Obtain details of the pet or animal owner – name / address / telephone
numbers (if applicable)
h.
Ask about visitors, especially children, who may have had contact, played
etc. Obtain details of human contacts - name / address / telephone numbers
and advise on immediate would management and refer to the nearest clinic
or hospital. Remember mucous membrane contact is Category 2
contact. Saliva may contain virus up to 3 days before symptoms.
i.
Determine the time lapse since the person was bitten. A rabid dog will not
survive longer than 10 days at the most.
j.
Determine what happened to the dog after bite incident – did it disappear?
Establish the whereabouts of the dog.
5.
If the animal is dead – determine where the carcass is. Request to have access to
the carcass and submit the carcass or the head to the laboratory as described in
subsection E1.11. even if decomposed.
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6.
If the animal is alive: GO AND SEE THE ANIMAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to
assess if it in fact is likely to have rabies. If the case does not sound too suspicious an
experienced animal health technician may go and see the animal but the state
veterinarian remains responsible and should be fully available and must be ready to go
and see the animal. Make a careful and informed decision on whether the case is
likely to be rabies or not. If the case is in any way unusual or if you are not sure,
discuss it with the Deputy Director: Animal Health as soon as possible after you have
obtained all the required information. If the animal does not really show symptoms
of rabies and has been vaccinated appropriately, then it is safe to assume that it
may not have rabies.
a.
If the suspect animal is too aggressive to be euthanized by the State vet and
, not on a leash and cannot be handled or controlled by the owner, arrange
with the SPCA or police to capture or euthanise the animal. The state
veterinarian must be present when this happens.
b.
If the live animal is strongly suspicious based on the signs and the history,
euthanize the animal or arrange for the animal to be euthanised immediately
without damaging the brain. Inform the owner of your decision, if available. If
it is not possible to capture the animal, request the police to shoot it in the
chest. Be present when this happens.
7.
Determine the symptoms that the dog or animal was/is showing. The following signs
are a general guide of what you may see in a rabid dog:
a.
Change in temperament
b.
Attacks and bites anything
c.
Exaggerated response to sound and light
d.
Restless
e.
Nervous
f.
Snap at imaginary flying insects
g.
Disorientated
h.
Wandering aimlessly
i.
Fixed stare
j.
Drooling saliva
k.
Hoarse howling, choking sounds (Change in voice)
l.
Acts like there is a bone in the throat
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m.
Become uncoordinated with progressive paralysis
n.
Convulsions and muscle spasms
NB: The symptoms can differ from animal to animal. Refer to the manual for
more details on signs in other species.
8.
If the animal shows signs strongly suggestive of rabies irrespective of whether it was
vaccinated before or not, euthanize the animal or arrange to have it euthanized
immediately by contacting the SPCA or Police, after convincing the owner. If the
owner refuses to have the animal euthanized, it might be an option to arrange for
QUARANTINE of the animal at owner’s premises, only if the animal was vaccinated
and the owner could not be convinced to have it euthanized. Quarantine is only
applicable to dogs as it is not practical to quarantine cats.
9.
Quarantine procedures: The animal must be kept in a locked dog/cat proof enclosure
from which it cannot escape. The enclosure should be of sufficient size to house the
dog comfortably and hygienically and should be approved by the State Veterinarian
(see details of quarantine procedure in the rabies manual). The dog must be
quarantined for up to 6 months and the owner must sign a Quarantine Form (sample
attached). The animal must not have any direct human contact during the quarantine
period and must be carefully monitored for worsening clinical signs. The State
Veterinarian or AHT must conduct monthly inspections on the animal to ensure that
the quarantine rules are followed. If the animal dies the State Veterinarian must be
contacted.
10.
If the case is unlikely to be rabies:
• Advise owner to observe animal over the following 2 weeks
• Owner should contact the State Veterinarian if it:
a. Starts to show more definite signs
b. Disappears
c. Dies (keep the body for a post mortem)
Contact Details:
• State Veterinarian Pretoria - Dr Adri Grobler-012 316 1702
• State Veterinarian Germiston - Dr Duma Mpofu-011 821 7700
SOP – Rabies Outbreak investigation
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• State Veterinarian Randfontein - Dr Jaison Mpofu-011 411 4300
• Contact your closest SPCA and/or the police if the dog has to be euthanized.
11.
Submission of samples to the Laboratory.
Submit the whole carcass or the head to the rabies laboratory at Onderstepoort
Veterinary Institute (OVI) together with a completed Laboratory Submission Form Try
to keep the carcasses or head cool until it reaches the laboratory. One can also submit
the brain on ice and /or in buffered glycerosaline – NOT Formalin (if suitable facilities
and experienced personnel are available to remove the brain). Phone the rabies
laboratory to pre-warn them and make arrangements for testing after hours if
necessary
a.
Submission of samples can be arranged with the owner, private
veterinarian or animal health technician but it remains the state
veterinarian’s responsibility.
b.
Ensure that the sample submission form is completed correctly with all
relevant information.
c.
The State Veterinarian should make follow-up personally with the
laboratory and obtain the results as soon as possible. Do not wait for the
laboratory to contact you.
F. FEEDBACK PROCEDURES:
Daily feedback reports (formal or informal) must be given to the DD.
Feedback is given on Daily activity reports by AHTs and monthly reports on outbreak
investigations.
H.
DOCUMENTS / RECORDS:

Laboratory Submission Form

Vaccination certificates

Full Report on the Investigation (Rabies Investigation Form)

Daily activity reports

SR1

Quarantine notice
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J.
DISTRIBUTION LIST:
State Veterinarian
Rabies Champion
DD Animal Health Regulatory
Director Animal Health
Department of Health
Private or Government Medical Practitioners
Private Veterinarians in area.
Animal Welfare Organisations in area.
End
SOP – Rabies Outbreak investigation
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