Title 7 . Health and Social Services

Chapter 27 . Embalming and Other Post-Mortem Services

Section 20. Control of animal diseases transmissible to humans

7 AAC 27.020. Control of animal diseases transmissible to humans

(a) Quarantine. The standards for quarantine are

(1) whenever any case of rabies or other animal disease dangerous to the health of human beings is reported as existing in any area, the Department of Health and Social Services will make an investigation as to whether the disease exists and as to the probable area of the state in which man or animal is endangered by it; if the Department of Health and Social Services finds that any such disease exists, a quarantine will be declared against all of those animals that are designated in the quarantine order within the area specified in the order; if the quarantine is for the purpose of preventing the spread of rabies, the order will contain a warning to the owners of animals within the quarantined area to confine on the owner's premises or tie down all animals so as to prevent biting; after such an order is issued, any animal found running at large in the quarantined area or known to have been removed from or to have escaped from the area may be destroyed by a peace officer or by a person designated by the Department of Health and Social Services;

(2) following the order of quarantine, the Department of Health and Social Services will make a thorough investigation as to the extent of the disease, the probable number of persons and animals exposed, and the area found to be involved;

(3) during the period for which any quarantine order is in force, all peace officers are empowered to kill, or, in their discretion, to capture and hold for further action by the Department of Health and Social Services all animals in a quarantined area not held in restraint on private premises;

(4) for the purposes of (1) and (3) of this subsection, "quarantine" is the strict confinement upon the private premises of the owners, in a veterinarian's office or hospital, in an animal shelter or pound, or at other locations approved by the department, under restraint by leash, chain, closed cage, or paddock of all animals specified by the order.

(b) Rabies Vaccination. The standards for animal rabies vaccination are the following:

(1) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2002, prepared by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. as amended from time to time is adopted by reference to govern the use of animal rabies vaccines;

(2) the Rabies Vaccination Certificate developed by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. is adopted as the only valid rabies vaccination certificate; these certificates are available from the division; computer generated certificates may be used if they contain all of the information required in the certificate developed by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. and the certificate is signed by a licensed veterinarian or department approved lay vaccinator;

(3) rabies vaccination of dogs and cats is required in accordance with schedules in the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2002, as adopted in (1) of this subsection; evidence of such a vaccination is to be recorded on the Standard Vaccination Certificate specified in (2) of this subsection; at the time of vaccination, the owner or keeper of a dog vaccinated must be given a metal tag bearing a number and the year the vaccination was given that is recorded on the Standard Vaccination Certificate; the tag must be affixed by the owner or keeper to a collar or harness and must be worn by the dog for which the certificate is issued except that the dog need not wear the tag while harnessed in a dog team or while participating in organized training or competition;

(4) a rabies vaccination is valid only when performed by or under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian or by a lay vaccinator approved by the department as qualified to administer the vaccine and for whom the department determines, in its discretion, that approval is in the best interests of the state in carrying out the purposes of this section and 7 AAC 27.030; the availability of a licensed veterinarian will not of itself preclude this approval;

(5) sale of rabies vaccine to any person or entity other than a licensed veterinarian, veterinary biologic supply firm, or public agency is prohibited;

(6) any dog or cat not vaccinated in compliance with this subsection may be confiscated and either vaccinated or euthanized; owners of confiscated animals are subject to payment of costs of confiscation, boarding, and vaccination, as well as any other penalties established by a municipality under AS 29.35.

(c) Impoundment or Euthanization of Animals. The standards for impounding or euthanizing animals that may be rabid are the following:

(1) a dog or cat vaccinated in accordance with (b)(3) of this section that bites a person must be placed under observation for 10 days, except that a clinically ill or stray animal that does so may be euthanized immediately and submitted to the department or to a laboratory designated by it for rabies testing;

(2) a dog or cat not vaccinated in accordance with (b)(3) of this section that bites a person may be euthanized immediately and submitted to the department or to a laboratory designated by it for rabies testing;

(3) a bat or a free-ranging carnivorous wild animal that bites a person must be euthanized immediately and submitted to the department or to a laboratory designated by it for rabies testing;

(4) an unvaccinated dog or cat bitten by a known or suspected rabid animal may be euthanized immediately; if the bitten animal has a current rabies vaccination, as defined in the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2002, adopted by reference in (b)(1) of this section, the animal must be immediately revaccinated and confined a minimum of 30 days;

(5) a prior rabies vaccination of an animal does not preclude the necessity for euthanasia and testing if the period of virus shedding is unknown for that species.

History: Eff. 6/10/62, Register 6; am 8/21/74, Register 51; am 6/21/78, Register 66; am 3/28/84, Register 89; am 1/19/96, Register 137; am 2/10/99, Register 149; am 9/29/2002, Register 163

Authority: AS 18.05.040

AS 44.62.245

AS 47.05.012

Editor's note: The Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2002, is on file in the Lieutenant Governor's Office and is available from the section of epidemiology, division of public health, Department of Health and Social Services, State of Alaska, 3601 C Street, Suite 540, Anchorage, Alaska 99524-0249.