Dogs Entering the United States from Rabies‐Endemic Countries, 2011–2012

Abstract

Summary International dog imports pose a risk because of the potential movement of disease agents, including the canine rabies virus variant which has been eliminated from the United States since 2007. U.S. regulations require a rabies vaccination certificate for dogs arriving from rabies-endemic countries, but permit the importation of dogs that have not been adequately immunized against rabies, provided that the dogs are confined under conditions that restrict their contact with humans and other animals until they have been immunized. CDC Form 75.37, “Notice to Owners and Importers of Dogs,” explains the confinement requirements and serves as a binding confinement agreement with the importer. In this evaluation, we describe the characteristics of unimmunized dogs imported into the United States over a one-year period based upon dog confinement agreements recorded at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) quarantine stations. Confinement agreements were issued for nearly 2800 unimmunized dogs that entered the United States during June 1, 2011–May 31, 2012, the majority of which traveled to the United States by air and without any seasonal pattern in import volume. Over 60% of these animals were puppies <3 months of age and included a wide variety of breeds. The dogs arrived from 81 countries, with the majority arriving from North America or Europe. Dogs placed on confinement agreements had final destinations in 49 states. California, New York, Texas, Washington, and Florida received the largest number of dogs on confinement agreements. These results (which do not reflect human travel or U.S. dog ownership data) suggest that a large portion of unimmunized dogs arrive from rabies-endemic countries for commercial, shelter, and rescue purposes. Further evaluation and key stakeholder involvement are needed to assess whether the current dog importation regulations are an adequate compromise between the benefits and risks of dog importation.

Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2014

“…International importation of pets also poses a risk for reintroduction of the canine rabies virus variant or the introduction of novel rabies virus variants from abroad. Despite a slew of laws and regulations aimed at preventing the importation of rabid animals, a study 24 conducted in 2013 showed that > 2,800 dogs imported into the United States each year have no history of rabies vaccination notwithstanding the fact that they are from countries where rabies is endemic. There have been at least 3 dogs with rabies imported into the United States since 2007.…”

Risk factors for inadequate antibody response to primary rabies vaccination in dogs under one year of age

“…In addition, proof of a rabies antibody titer of at least 0.5 IU/ml from a blood sample collected not less than three months and not more than 24 months prior to entry is required. Depending on the jurisdiction, dogs without proof of vaccination may be turned away, euthanized, or granted access in extenuating circumstances through government monitoring programs [ 4 ].…”

Public Health Implications of Changing Rodent Importation Patterns - United States, 1999-2013

“…breeding site, place of capture or most recent long‐term residence) and not just the most proximate flight origin. We observed this as a potential issue in a recent analysis of dog importation patterns (Sinclair et al., ). For example, live rodents could be shipped from Africa to Europe and then to the United States as part of a multiflight itinerary and might be reported in the LEMIS data as originating from the most recent flight origin in Europe.…”