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Vaccination of Pets Against Rabies
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OECAThe rabies virus is present throughout the island of Puerto Rico through its reservoir species; mongooses (aka squirrels). This species - through bites - affects our pets (dogs, cats, horses), farm animals, and directly humans.
Vaccinate your pet
The Director of the Zoonosis and Veterinary Division of the Department of Health, Carlos M. Carazo Gilot, DVM, warned today about the importance of having pets vaccinated against the rabies virus. The Veterinarian indicated that:
The rabies virus when transmitted by a bite to a mammal (e.g. humans) begins a migration through the nervous system that lasts for weeks to months. When the virus reaches the intracranial area, clinical symptoms begin (all associated with the nervous system) and the disease progresses to death 100% of the time.
Any bite suffered by a human should be treated by a health care provider and reported to the Health Department.
Post-exposure treatment to a high-risk bite involves 4 treatments and prevents the virus from reaching the intracranial area 100% of the time. It is both effective and expensive ($4,000 +/-). The Department of Health provides this treatment only in situations where there is a high risk of infection with this virus.
Any person can go to a private physician for evaluation to prescribe this post-exposure treatment.
If our pets are not vaccinated against rabies and are bitten by an animal affected with this virus they will have a progression of the virus in their nervous system, become rabid/aggressive, may bite or contaminate any nearby humans and eventually die.
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The contagion of the rabies virus in Puerto Rico through animal bites cannot be underestimated in any environment or scenario. This virus causes around 59,000 deaths annually in the world and is present on our island.
If the Health Department finds pets bitten by suspected animals and these pets are not vaccinated against rabies (the owner has no official evidence of vaccination), the Health Department will give the owner a euthanasia order for their pet following the Rabies Protocol.
Pet owners must vaccinate their pets against rabies annually and must demand from the veterinarian a Certificate of Vaccination with the seal of the Colegio de Médicos Veterinarios de Puerto Rico..