What role do local health departments play in rabies monitoring?

Identifying High-Risk Areas

Local health departments use data from animal bites, animal testing, and surveillance to identify areas with high rabies activity. For example, if 10 or more animals test positive for rabies in a specific zip code within a 6-month period, that area is considered high-risk. Health departments use this information to intensify public awareness campaigns, increase surveillance, and coordinate with veterinarians to ensure that pets in these areas receive timely vaccinations.

Responding to Animal Bites

When a person is bitten by a suspect animal, local health departments facilitate the process of getting the individual to a veterinarian for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). PEP consists of a series of vaccinations, typically one dose of rabies immune globulin followed by a series of 2-3 rabies vaccinations administered over a 2-week period. The key is to administer the first dose of PEP within 24-48 hours of the bite to ensure effectiveness. Health departments also work with animal control to identify and test the animal that inflicted the bite, which helps to determine whether the animal had rabies and whether further action is needed.