SUNY Cortland – Environmental Health & Safety
Rabies Control Procedures
Policy #16
Rabies Control Procedures
Contents:
1. Facts about Rabies
2. General Precautions
3. Live Animal Encounters
4. Dead Animal Removal Procedures
5. Procedure
1. Facts about Rabies:
Rabies is an acute viral infection of the central nervous system that affects
mammals. It is transmitted by introducing the virus into cuts or wounds in skin or
through the mucous membranes. A bite from an infected mammal is the usual path of
transmission to humans. Transmissions may also occur through scratches, abrasions,
open wounds or mucous membranes that come in contact with saliva or other potentially
infectious material, such as brain tissue, from a rabid animal. Casual contact, such as
petting a rabid animal, does not constitute an exposure and is not an indication for postexposure medical care.
Rabies virus can live a few hours outside the body in saliva and body fluids.
Rabies virus inside the body (e.g. brain tissue) can live for days. Freezing extends the
life of the rabies virus after the animal’s death.
An exposure incident is necessary for disease transmission. An exposure incident
is defined as a bite or scratch from a potentially infected animal, or direct contact of nonintact skin or mucous membrane with saliva or other body fluids. All known exposures
to animals or humans in Cortland must be reported to the Cortland County Health
Department.
It is prohibited to bring or shelter unvaccinated cats, dogs, or other pets on
campus. It is also prohibited to intentionally bring or use other potentially infected
animals (living or dead) on campus.
2. General Precautions:
A. At the date of this policy, the following species are to be considered sources
of rabies infection (dead or alive):
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bats
gray fox
skunks
cats
dogs
red fox
raccoons
wood chucks
deer
opossum
Precautions should extend to all other meat eating animals as well. (Note that not all of
the above listed species have been confirmed as rabid in Cortland County but have been
confirmed in other parts of the state.) Rats and mice do not spread rabies.
B. Consider all exposures (that is bite, scratch, or direct contact with blood or
body fluids to a cut or mucous membrane) to species known to carry rabies as sources of
rabies infection.
C. Any individual with an exposure should contact the Cortland County Health
Department for additional instructions.
3. Live Animal Encounters:
A. Bats
If a single bat is encountered, with which no person has had contact, the bat
should be isolated to one room by closing doors and then open the windows and/or doors
leading to the outside. The bat will usually find its way out. (Check after a half hour or
so.)
For multiple bats, or where the above procedure is not feasible (e.g. the room can
not be easily isolated, there are no windows, or the bat has made contact with a person),
the assistance of a trained professional must be obtained. During regular business hours,
the Physical Plant office should be notified; during non-business hours University Police
should be contacted. A pest control contractor will be requested (by the Physical Plant or
University Police) to respond on an urgent basis. They will need to know if any person
has come into physical contact with the bat. While waiting for the pest control personnel,
bystanders should be kept away from the bat(s) as much as possible.
B. Dogs and Cats
Encounters with stray dogs or cats should be reported to University Police who
will determine if the Cortland Animal Control Officer or external police agency needs to
be contacted for response.
C. Other Animals
If the animal has not been aggressive, is acting in a typical manner, and has not
potentially exposed anyone to rabies, the animal should be given the opportunity to leave
the building on its own accord (as in the above procedure for bats). Care should be taken
not to allow the animal close enough to expose anyone to rabies. If the animal will not
leave or is acting in an unusual manner, the call-in procedure listed in the bat section will
be used.
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D. Emergency Response
University Police should be contacted for emergency response to aggressive or
suspected live rabid animals. University Police will request the assistance of local law
enforcement personnel as necessary.
4. Dead Animal Removal Procedures
The Physical Plant should be contacted to remove dead animals which may be
sources of rabies infection.
Procedure:
Required equipment for the pickup of road killed animals is:
Heavy duty rubber gloves
Plastic bags (at least 3 mil)
Flat blade shovel with marked handle
10% fresh bleach solution – bucket or sprayer
•Always wear heavy duty rubber gloves when handling equipment to pick up road
kills or to physically handle a carcass. Bag for disposal or disinfect used gloves.
•Use a designated shovel (handle painted red) to pick up a road killed animal.
Use the marked shovel only for road kills and store in a safe and readily
available location.
•A small carcass should be put in two layers of plastic and placed in a secure
dumpster or buried under three feet of soil.
•Disinfect where the carcass laid. Liberally spray or pour a 1:10 household
bleach (sodium hypochlorite) solution on the equipment, ground, hands, and/or
truck bed after the carcass has been bagged or buried.
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