Content
I. Rabies Prevention Plan
A. Background
Rabies is a fatal, preventable viral disease which the veterinary profession may come in contact with. It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. In the United States, rabies is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Because of this several recommendations and requirements are in place.
B. Student, Faculty and Staff Rabies Vaccination
Due to the prevalence of rabies cases locally in our program area, primary learning location, externships, animal resource locations, and due to the use of staff and student-owned animal resources, faculty, staff, and all Veterinary Technician Option students handling animals must be rabies vaccinated with a series of two vaccinations.
Rabies vaccination is mandatory for students pursuing the Veterinary Technician Option and must be completed (or waived) before being accepted into the Veterinary Technician Option.
Students are encouraged to be vaccinated against rabies before arriving on campus.
Vaccinations can be arranged through your local physician, county health department, West Central Health Department in North Platte (308-696-1201) or Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department in McCook. (308-334-4223), Gothenburg Discount Pharmacy with an office in Curtis (308-537-7155), Walgrens, UNL Student Health Services, Holdrege Medical Center, Kearney Hospital, Bryan Hospital in Lincoln, USave Pharmacy in North Platte.
Rabies immunization requires a series of two shots and timing is important. A titer check after the second vaccination is recommended but not required. The cost of the rabies vaccine at this time is $400.00 - $700.00 per dose and each student will need two doses. This pricing is subject to change based on availability from the manufacturer and insurance carrier requirements.
Rabies immunizations can be billed to insurance, but the student needs to check with their carrier as to whether it would be covered. Each insurance carrier and plan will be slightly different so that is something to be aware of. Providing the insurance carrier with this Rabies Prevention Plan and vaccination requirement of the program can be helpful.
If financial hardship is preventing you from receiving the rabies vaccination, the Veterinary Technology Department can sometimes hire you as a temporary employee to work in the Animal Holding Facility over holidays and breaks providing care of the previously vaccinated animals. See the VT Office Manager for details
Proof of vaccination needs to be turned into the Veterinary Technology Office Manager once completed. Immunization records can be found at https://nesis-dhhs-prod.ne.gov>public>clientSearch
Unvaccinated students shall handle only fully vaccinated mammals, with the exception of rodents and rabbits. Unvaccinated animals may be seen as part of the Large Animal Techniques II and III, Clinical Practices class, feral cat neuter project and occasionally in other classes. Not being vaccinated will impact the number of animals you may be able to handle.
If you do not want to receive the rabies vaccination for medical or religious reasons, a waiver form must be completed and turned into the Veterinary Technology office manager.
II. Rabies Information for Students
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides information regarding rabies. The information is available at https://cdc.gov/rabies/index/html. (last visited August 23, 2024) Students are encouraged to visit the CDC’s website for additional information. Highlights of information from the CDC’s website as well as various textbooks as listed under references are contained in this section. Students are provided comprehensive information about rabies in the required Veterinary Technology Course: Diseases of Veterinary Medicine.
A. Key Points
· Rabies is a viral disease that is deadly in people if medical care is not received before symptoms start.
· Rabies is spread to humans and pets primarily through bites or scratches from an infected animal.
· Rabies control measures in the United States have significantly reduced rabies as a public health threat.
· Each year 60,000 Americans receive medical care following a potential rabies exposure.
What you need to know
Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It can be spread to people and pets through the bites and scratches of an infected animal. Rabies primarily affects the central nervous system, leading to severe brain disease and death if medical care is not received before symptoms start.
Immediate medical attention following suspected rabies exposure is critical. Medical care following a rabies exposure is called post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP. PEP includes wound care, a dose of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), and a series of four or five rabies vaccines, which must be administered as soon as possible after exposure. This care is vital to prevent the disease from developing. It is nearly 100% effective if administered promptly. Each year, 60,000 Americans receive PEP after a potential rabies exposure.
The disease is rare in humans in the United States, with fewer than 10 deaths reported each year. Still, rabies poses a serious public health threat, because of its high death rate in people. It is also present in many wildlife species, nearly 3 in 4 Americans live in a community where raccoons, skunks, or foxes carry rabies.
Animals and rabies
In the United States, more than 90% of reported cases of rabies in animals occur in wildlife. Contact with infected bats is the leading cause of human rabies deaths in this country; at least 7 out of 10 Americans who die from rabies in the US were infected by bats. The animals most often found with rabies in the U.S. include:
· bats
· raccoons
· skunks
· foxes
While rabid dogs in the US are uncommon, around the world, domestic dogs are responsible for more than 95% of the estimated 70,000 human deaths that occur each year.
People at risk
People who are at increased risk for rabies exposures may want to consider pre-exposure vaccination for increased protection.
· People who travel
· People who participate in certain leisure activities
· People who have jobs with animals
People with jobs that involve frequent animal contact, such as veterinary professionals (including technicians), animal control workers, wildlife researchers, wildlife rehabilitation workers, and certain agricultural workers, are at increased risk of a rabies exposure. People who work with or are exposed to wild animals could encounter a wild animal with rabies. People who work with pets may be exposed if a pet is not vaccinated for rabies and/or has encountered a wild animal with rabies.
Prevention
Rabies prevention efforts by veterinary, wildlife management, and public health professionals mean that human cases of rabies in the U.S. are rare. Veterinarians vaccinate over 40 million cats and dogs each year, and these vaccinations significantly reduce the risk of you or your pets getting rabies. Each year, wildlife management professionals distribute oral vaccines to wildlife, through baits, to control rabies at its source, especially in areas where rabies in wild animals is common.
The best way you can prevent rabies is by:
- Making sure your pets are up-to-date on their rabies vaccines;
- Keeping wildlife wild - stay away from wildlife for both human and animal safety;
- Calling animal control to remove stray animals from your neighborhood;
- Washing bites or scratches immediately with soap and water; and
- Seeking medical care shortly after potential exposures.
Around the world, large-scale dog vaccination programs are the most effective way to prevent rabies. However, in many countries, there aren't enough resources to reach all the dogs that need it. CDC works
with public and private partners to improve vaccine access for people and animals, making travel safer and improving global health.
Keep in Mind
- Rabies affects only mammals. Mammals are warm-blooded animals with fur. People are also mammals. Birds, snakes, and fish are not mammals, so they cannot get rabies and they cannot give it to you.
- You cannot tell if an animal has rabies by just looking at it—the only way to know for sure if an animal (or a person) has rabies is to perform laboratory testing. However, animals with rabies may act strangely. Some may be aggressive and try to bite you or other animals, or they may drool more than normal. (This is sometimes shown in movies as animals “foaming at the mouth.”) But not all animals with rabies will be aggressive or drooling. Other animals may act timid or shy, move slowly or act tame, or let you get close to them. Because that is not the way wild animals usually act, you should remember that something could be wrong. Some animals may not appear ill. For the health and safety of wildlife, your pets, and yourself, leave wild animals alone, including baby animals.
- The best thing to do is to never feed or approach a wild animal. Be careful of pets that you do not know. If you see a stray dog or cat, do not pet it. This is especially important if you are traveling in a country where rabies in dogs is common. And if any animal is acting strangely, call your local animal control officer for help.
- There are several things you can do to protect your pet from rabies. These include making sure your pets get regular rabies vaccines, keeping pets away from wild animals, spaying or neutering pets, and calling animal control to remove stray animals from your neighborhood. References: https://cdc.gov/rabies/index/html, Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians, Joanna M. Bassert/ John A. Thomas, Merck Veterinary Manual, Research Laboratory Merck, Common Diseases of Companion Animals, Summers.
B. Comprehensive rabies information distribution
- Comprehensive rabies information, including making the students aware of the risk to being exposed to a fatal disease during the program and in the profession is made available and covered in the Veterinary Technology Handbook, during New Student Registration and in Diseases of Veterinary Medicine class.
- Students will acknowledge the receipt of Rabies information in Diseases of Veterinary Medicine class, filed in the student’s record and kept in the Veterinary Technology File Room.
C. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for students working with live animals.
- PPE attire includes the wearing of scrub tops, specific lab jackets, jeans, closed-toed shoes, coveralls, over boots, exam gloves, sterile gloves, leather gloves, caps, masks, hearing protection, and protective eye wear as appropriate per species and class.
- In addition, for a rabies suspect animal catch poles, barriers and heavy leather gloves are employed.
D. Internship Agreement statement
- Employers please be aware that the student may NOT have been vaccinated against Rabies.
II. Animal Vaccinations
A. College Owned Animals
- Apart from cattle, rabbits, and rodents, all college owned mammals for which there is an approved rabies vaccine will be vaccinated against rabies.
- A herd of seven cattle will be rabies vaccinated and available for unvaccinated students to work with.
- Vaccinations for all college owned animals will be documented in the patient’s medical record utilizing the Veterinary Technology – Animal Vaccination Record. Medical Records are kept in the Dr. Walter Long Teaching Clinic.
- Rabies vaccinations will be administered using manufacturers guidelines at the appropriate ages by the NCTA Veterinary Technology or Ag Production Attending Veterinarian.
- Age-appropriate animals will be vaccinated within two weeks of arrival on campus.
- After the initial rabies vaccinations, NCTA owned animals will receive an annual rabies booster. This allows for zero lapses in protection and meet all state and / or local requirements. This is regardless of manufacturer label of being a 1yr, 2yr, or 3-year vaccine.
B. Hold and Observation Period Requirements for NCTA owned animals.
- Hold/observation period for animals receiving their first rabies vaccination is 28 days before being handled by non-vaccinated students.
- The previously vaccinated animal with potential exposure to rabies will be revaccinated against rabies and then quarantined for 45 days.
- Hold/observation period for vaccinated animals exposed to rabies is 45 days before being handled by non-vaccinated students.
- The smaller quarantined animals will be housed in the Veterinary Technology Isolation ward or Teaching Clinic as space allows. Horses will be kept in an enclosed stall and cattle in a identified pen on the campus farm.
- Animals under observation will be cared for by a limited number of approved rabies vaccinated individuals.
- Holding times and locations is determined through consultation with the attending veterinarian.
- Documentation of vaccination and holding period including location and handling procedures during the hold will be recorded in the patient’s medical records and filed in the Dr. Walter Long Teaching Clinic.
C. Student owned mammals.
- Mammals for which there is an approved rabies vaccine will be vaccinated against rabies.
- Rabies vaccines will be administered at age-appropriate times as per manufacturer’s directions.
- A Rabies certificate of vaccination signed by the administering veterinarian is required and then kept in the animals medical record at the Dr. Walter Long Teaching Clinic.
- Animals must be vaccinated 28 days before being handled by non-vaccinated students.
D. Rabies Mitigation Plan
Rabies is a fatal and preventable viral disease that the veterinary profession may come in contact with. Because of this several recommendations and requirements are in place.
- Students pursuing the Veterinary Technician Option must be immunized against rabies before handling unvaccinated animals. (Rodents and Rabbits are exempt)
- Unvaccinated students shall handle only fully vaccinated mammals, with the exception of rodents and rabbits.
- Animals must be vaccinated a minimum of 28 days prior to handling by unvaccinated students.
- Unvaccinated animals may be seen as part of the Large Animal Techniques II and III, Clinical Practices class, feral cat neuter project and occasionally in other classes.
- Mammals for which there is an approved rabies vaccine brought to class by students must be vaccinated against rabies at least 28 days before coming to class (Rodents and Rabbits are exempt)
- If you do not want to receive the rabies vaccination for medical or religious reasons, a waiver form must be completed and turned into the Veterinary Technology office manager. Not being vaccinated will impact the number of animals you may be able to handle.
E. Rabies Risk Assessment Plan
All primary learning takes place on campus in Curtis, Nebraska and the animals have been vaccinated against rabies. Animal sources are Nebraska and Kansas based. New animals are isolated and vaccinated before being handled by students who are vaccinated as well. Externship sites are primarily in Nebraska. Other states students have done internships include Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Each year as students are finding their internship location the Veterinary Technology office manager uses the rabies surveillance data from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to determine the risk in Nebraska and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website to determine and update the rabies risk assessment for all other states the students will be interning in.