| (a) When a dog, cat, or domestic ferret that has bitten
a human has been identified, the custodian will place the animal (regardless
of its vaccination status) in quarantine as defined in the Texas Health
and Safety Code, §826.002, until the end of the 10-day observation
period. The animal must also be quarantined if there is probable cause
to believe that it has otherwise exposed a human to rabies. The observation
period will begin at the time of the exposure. The animal must be
placed in a department-licensed quarantine facility specified by the
local rabies control authority and observed at least twice daily.
However, the local rabies control authority may allow the animal to
be quarantined in a veterinary clinic. As an alternative to quarantine
at a department-licensed facility or a veterinary clinic, the local
rabies control authority may allow home confinement. To allow home
confinement, the following criteria must be met.
(1) A secure enclosure approved by the local rabies
control authority must be used to prevent escape.
(2) The animal has been vaccinated against rabies and
the time elapsed since the most recent vaccination has not exceeded
the manufacturer recommendations for the vaccine. If an unvaccinated
animal is not over 16 weeks of age at the time of the potential exposure,
it may be allowed home confinement.
(3) During the confinement period, the animal's custodian
must monitor the animal's behavior and health status and immediately
notify the local rabies control authority if any change is noted.
(4) The local rabies control authority or a veterinarian
must observe the animal at least on the first and last days of the
home confinement.
(5) The animal was not a stray as defined in the Texas
Health and Safety Code, §826.002, at the time of the potential
exposure.
(b) If the potential rabies exposure described in subsection
(a) of this section occurs in a city or county other than where the
animal's custodian resides, the animal may be transferred to a department-licensed
quarantine facility or a veterinary clinic in the city or county of
the custodian's residence or allowed home confinement, if applicable,
if there is mutual agreement to do so between the local rabies control
authorities for the city or county where the exposure occurred and
where the custodian resides.
(c) The alternative to quarantining (to include home
confining) a dog, cat, or domestic ferret that has bitten or otherwise
potentially exposed a person to rabies as described in subsection
(a) of this section is to have the animal euthanatized in such a manner
that the brain is not damaged and a suitable specimen submitted to
a department-designated laboratory for rabies testing. A list of department-designated
laboratories may be found on the department's website or may be obtained
from any of the department's regional Zoonosis Control offices.
(d) A domestic animal that has potentially exposed
a human to rabies and has been designated by the local rabies control
authority as unowned may be euthanatized. If the animal is euthanatized,
a suitable specimen shall be submitted for rabies testing.
(e) "Free-roaming animals" as used in this section
includes animals that have been in captivity less than 200 days immediately
prior to the potential exposure and those that are not in captivity.
If the animal implicated in the potential exposure is a free-roaming
high-risk animal, it shall be euthanatized and a suitable specimen
submitted for rabies testing. If the animal implicated in the potential
exposure is a high-risk animal that has been in captivity without
contact with free-roaming animals for 200 days or more immediately
prior to the potential exposure or is less than 200 days old, has
always been in captivity without contact with free-roaming animals,
and is the progeny of a dam that has been in captivity without contact
with free-roaming animals for 200 days or more immediately prior to
the potential exposure, the local rabies control authority shall conduct
a risk assessment to gauge the probability that the animal could have
been exposed to rabies and, therefore, poses a public health risk.
If the probability that the animal implicated in the potential exposure
could have had animal contact conducive to rabies transmission is
low and the potential exposure poses a negligible public health risk,
the local rabies control authority may require that the animal involved
in the potential exposure be quarantined at a department-licensed
quarantine facility or a veterinary clinic or confined elsewhere as
deemed appropriate by the local rabies control authority for a 30-day
observation period as an alternative to euthanatizing and testing.
The local rabies control authority or a veterinarian must observe
the animal at least on the first and last days of the quarantine or
confinement that was deemed appropriate by the local rabies control
authority.
(f) If the animal implicated in the potential exposure
is a low-risk animal, neither quarantine nor rabies testing will be
required unless the local rabies control authority has cause to believe
the animal is rabid, in which case it shall be euthanatized and a
suitable specimen submitted for rabies testing.
(g) The local rabies control authority may require
an animal that has inflicted multiple bite wounds, punctures, or lacerations
to a person to be euthanatized. If the animal is euthanatized, a suitable
specimen shall be submitted for rabies testing.
(h) If the animal implicated in the potential exposure
is not included in subsection (a), (b), (c), (d), (f), or (g) of this
section or the portion of subsection (e) of this section pertaining
to a free-roaming high-risk animal, the animal either will be euthanatized
and a suitable specimen submitted for rabies testing or the local
rabies control authority may require the animal to be quarantined
at a department-licensed quarantine facility or a veterinary clinic
or confined elsewhere as deemed appropriate by the local rabies control
authority for the 30-day observation period as an alternative to euthanatizing
and testing. The local rabies control authority's decision on whether
to quarantine or euthanatize and test those other animals described
in subsection (e) of this section will be determined by risk-assessment
parameters as described in subsection (e) of this section. If the
potential rabies exposure occurs in a city or county other than where
the animal's custodian resides, the animal may be transferred to a
department-licensed quarantine facility or a veterinary clinic in
the city or county of the custodian's residence or allowed confinement
deemed appropriate if there is mutual agreement to do so between the
local rabies control authorities for the city or county where the
exposure occurred and where the custodian resides. During the observation
period, the animal's custodian must monitor the animal's behavior
and health status and immediately notify the local rabies control
authority if any change is noted. The local rabies control authority
or a veterinarian must observe the animal at least on the first and
last days of the quarantine or confinement that was deemed appropriate
by the local rabies control authority.
(i) Any animal required to be quarantined under this
section that cannot be maintained in secure quarantine shall be euthanatized
and a suitable specimen submitted for rabies testing.
(j) All laboratory specimens referred to in subsections
(c) - (i) of this section shall be submitted in accordance with §169.33
of this title (relating to Submission of Specimens for Laboratory
Examination).
(k) At the discretion of the local rabies control authority,
assistance animals may not be required to be placed in quarantine
(to include confinement) during the observation period. During the
applicable observation period, the animal's custodian must monitor
the animal's behavior and health status and immediately notify the
local rabies control authority if any change is noted. The local rabies
control authority or a veterinarian must observe the animal at least
at the beginning and on the last day of the applicable observation
period.
(l) Police service animals are exempted from quarantine
per the Texas Health and Safety Code, §826.048, including confinement.
During the applicable observation period, the animal's custodian must
monitor the animal's behavior and health status and immediately notify
the local rabies control authority if any change is noted.
(m) Animals should not be vaccinated against rabies
or receive other vaccinations or non-essential medications that may
complicate assessment of behavioral change or health status during
the observation period; however, animals may be treated for medical
problems that are diagnosed by a veterinarian and are not related
to rabies. If the animal becomes ill during the observation period,
the local rabies control authority must be notified by the person
having possession of the animal.
|
| Source Note: The provisions of this §169.27 adopted to be effective April 1, 1980, 5 TexReg 812; amended to be effective March 29, 1988, 13 TexReg 1337; amended to be effective February 22, 1993, 18 TexReg 845; amended to be effective February 21, 1996, 21 TexReg 963; amended to be effective August 21, 1996, 21 TexReg 7660; amended to be effective July 12, 1998, 23 TexReg 7224; amended to be effective March 19, 2003, 28 TexReg 2341; amended to be effective December 20, 2007, 32 TexReg 9341; amended to be effective March 31, 2013, 38 TexReg 1994 |
