Rabies
Rabies
Definition
Rabies is a serious viral disease of mammals. It is zoonotic which means it can be transmitted to humans from other animals. A large proportion of human rabies cases are due to bites from infected dogs. It affects the brain and nervous system and can lead to death. It is almost invariably fatal if post exposure treatment is not given in a timely manner. It is therefore important to prevent infection. Rabies has a long and variable incubation period (up to 6 months in animals) and the animal is only infectious from the time shortly before clinical signs appear.
Rabies is a notifiable disease, if you suspect that your dog has contracted rabies or has known contact with animals suspected of having rabies, you should notify the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) immediately.
Transmission
Rabies results from infection with the rabies virus which targets the nervous system. Rabies is not normally transmitted by casual contact between animals and humans; rather it requires contamination of open wounds by infectious saliva. Most human cases occur as a result of a bite or scratch from a rabid animal, especially dogs, bats and foxes. The virus from the saliva of an infected animal enters the peripheral nerves through the wound and later reaches the central nervous system, ultimately causing inflammation of the brain. The incubation period is usually a few months in humans, but may also range from a few days to one year.
Symptoms
-
Early Signs (subtle):
- erratic behaviour
- fever
-
Furious Phase
- erratic, unusual behaviour
- restlessness, disorientation
- aggression, seizures
-
Paralytic Phase
- weakness, paralysis
- drooling, difficulty swallowing
- change in voice/bark
- depression, coma and death
For dogs
How can I prevent my dog from getting rabies?
Simple steps can be taken to protect your dog from rabies.
- Rabies vaccination for your dog is highly effective in preventing the disease and rabies is rare in vaccinated dogs.
- When purchasing a dog, you should ensure that your dog is from a legal source, for example, only buy a dog from a licensed animal trader, licensed dog breeder (Category A or B), holder of a one–off permit issued by our department or adopt a dog from our partnering Animal Welfare Organisations (AWOs).
- Rabies vaccination is available from private veterinary surgeons and AFCD. All dogs aged over 5 months must be licensed, microchipped and vaccinated against rabies. The licence is valid for 3 years and your dog must be re-vaccinated against rabies every 3 years along with renewal of the licence.
- Avoid contact with wildlife or stray animals.
- Only import pets legally and those that are vaccinated properly.
- If you are planning to bring your pet animals from abroad back to Hong Kong, make sure you contact AFCD before bringing them back as the animals are subject to importation requirements (including 4-month quarantine for animals imported from certain countries)
For humans
How can rabies be prevented in humans?
- Pre-exposure vaccination is available for those at increased risk (e.g. vets or those travelling in rabies endemic areas and without access to safe and prompt medical care)
- When travelling, avoid contact with stray animals, including dogs, cats and monkeys, and keep all scratches covered.
- If you get bitten or scratched by an animal suspected of having rabies (or if you are not sure), wash the wound with clean water and soap (or antiseptic if available) immediately and seek medical attention as soon as possible to see if you need to have post-exposure treatment.
- If you are a dog owner, make sure your dog is licensed and vaccinated against rabies.
- Only import pets legally and those that are vaccinated properly.
Rabies vaccination
Rabies vaccination is available from private veterinary surgeons and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD). All dogs aged over 5 months must be licensed, microchipped and vaccinated against rabies. The licence is valid for 3 years and you should note when the licence is valid until. Your dog must be re-vaccinated against rabies every 3 years along with renewal of licence.
If your dog has any history of allergic reactions to any drugs or vaccinations, it is recommended that you bring your dog to a private veterinary clinic for assessment by a veterinarian first before giving rabies vaccination to your dog.
If your dog has been ill or displaying symptoms such as vomiting and/or diarrhoea, etc. in the past few days, you should consider taking your dog to a private veterinary clinic for a consultation and ask the veterinarian for advice on whether your dog is suitable to receive the vaccination.
Depending on individual dogs, some may develop allergic reactions to the vaccination, but the chance of that is quite low. Symptoms that may appear during the first few hours after the injection include vomiting, breathing difficulty, generalised skin hypersensitivity (rash), facial swelling and/or localised swelling at the injection site. If the above symptoms are noted, you should take your dog to a private veterinary clinic for treatment.
If you get bitten by a dog
- Clean the wound immediately and thoroughly for 10-15 minutes with plain water and soap. If available, also use Povidone Iodine disinfectant.
- Seek medical treatment right away. If necessary, immunisation against rabies may be given.
- Even if you have had pre-exposure immunisation against rabies before, it does not eliminate the need for post-exposure immunisation if there is a risk of rabies.
- Since there is a high risk of the wound getting infected, antibiotics may be needed.
- Try to make sure that the biter dog does not bite anyone else. But at the same time do not take any more risks.
- Have the dog owner restrain the biter dog (e.g. holding the dog on a leash and muzzle it) or if the biter dog does not have an owner or its owner is not around, attempt to cage or confine the biter dog until the authorities arrive. Again, only do so if this is possible without further risk to yourself.
- Inform the authorities and try to remain calm. The incident should be reported to the police and our department and you should cooperate fully with the officers investigating the incident by providing your own personal information and details of the incident.
- Find out if the biter dog has had rabies vaccination.
- The biter dog will either be brought to one of our department’s Animal Management Centres for a 7-day observation period or it may be allowed to have home observation for the same period of time provided that its rabies vaccination status is valid (other conditions apply).
Applicable Legislation
Cap 421A RABIES REGULATION
The keeper of a dog shall ensure that the dog be vaccinated against rabies at the age of 5 months and thereafter every 3 years along with renewal of licence. A person who contravenes the above commits an offence and is liable to a fine of $10,000.
If a keeper of dog changes his/her address or ceases to be the keeper, he/she must notify the AFCD within 5 days in writing of that change or that cessation. Any person who commits the offence is liable to a fine of $5,000.
Cap 421 RABIES ORDINANCE
If a dog is not on a leash or otherwise under control in a public place and bites a person, the keeper of the dog may be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of $10,000.
HK - a rabies-free area
Hong Kong has been free of rabies since the 1980s and has kept a good record of maintaining a rabies-free status.
To keep Hong Kong free of rabies, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) applies compulsory dog licensing, importation requirements and quarantine restrictions to dogs, cats and other animals.
World Rabies Day
World Rabies Day is a global event organised annually on the 28th of September to raise awareness of human and animal rabies, and to deliver the message that rabies is preventable and can be eliminated.
Since the launching of “World Rabies Day” in 2007 by the Alliance for Rabies Control, it has been supported by veterinary, medical and other specialised professionals, student organisations and corporate and non-profit partners from around the world. Since the inaugural campaign in 2007, World Rabies Day events have been held in more than a hundred countries. As more dogs from around the world are now being vaccinated, the incidence of rabies in humans and animals has also been reduced, demonstrating that the control and prevention of rabies are of great importance.
For more information about World Rabies Day, please visit rabiesalliance.org.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) also actively supports World Rabies Day by organising events in September each year. For more information about our events, please visit www.pets.gov.hk.
Educational panels and game booth are set up to provide information about rabies prevention.
Learn about rabies prevention in a fun way.
Many people visit us and learn about responsible pet ownership and rabies prevention.