That title is correct federal health experts in Atlanta today are expected to announce that the Canine Rabies Virus has been eliminated from the United States and Canada. There has not been a case of Canine Rabies in 2 years. Heres a link to a news story about it -
Canine rabies wiped out, experts say
So does that mean you should not have to vaccinate your dog for rabies anymore?
Unfortunately no. There are other strains of rabies virus that your dog can still contract with skunks, raccoons and bats being the top carriers of the disease. However I do hope that it will cause some looking into how often we should vaccinate our dogs for rabies. There is on going studies right now with Dr. Ron Schultz at the University of Wisonsin - Madison to determine the actual length of immunity that a rabies vaccine has for a dog. At this point the intial results appear likely that your dog will be immune for 5 to 7 years after receiving a rabies vaccine. For more information check out this site - Rabies Challenge Fund
dog health, rabies vaccine, rabies virus
[…] E-Vet Clinic - Dog Health Care - Straight Talkin Information about the That title is correct federal health experts in Atlanta today are expected to announce that the Canine Rabies Virus has been eliminated from the United States and Canada. […]
“So does that mean you should not have to vaccinate your dog for rabies anymore?” - Medical care for the dogs is always mandatory for its health. Even if they eradicate the virus it tends to come in some other name or form. So vaccination is important and I totally agree with your points made in this posting.
Also when they say they’ve eliminated rabies that doesn’t mean it’s 0%. It means it’s less than measurable.
Like you say it’s still worth vaccination no matter how sure they are that, it’s gone?
Are there verified accounts of dogs getting rabies after being well- vaccinated?
Also, what is the blood test that is done to test the vaccination antibody level in dogs?
Lon - absolutely there are verified accounts of dogs getting rabies after being vaccinated, in fact England has the most research on this topic because they are a rabies free country and they want to keep it that way. They require titer testing which is the blood test that tests antibody levels in dogs. HEre are a couple of abstracts from studies that you can read about the subject –
Practical significance of rabies antibodies in cats and dogs.
Factors influencing the antibody response of dogs vaccinated against rabies.
As far as I know, dog vaccination still guarantee protection from diseases and your pet can develop strong immunity thus making vaccination a vital factor of your care. Since most of the dog lovers usually interact with their pet, vaccination uphold the dog health and public health.
Faith,
Unfortunately dog vaccination does NOT guarantee protection. You may be surprised to know that the Rabies vaccination is only 85% effective, which means that even if your dog is vaccinated against rabies if they come into contact with a rabid animal, about 15% of them will still contract rabies!