Clinical Pathways
Clinical Pathways
Domestic dog, cat, or ferret
Domestic dog, cat, or ferret

Domestic dog, cat, or ferret

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Decision

Animal vaccinated, with no gaps in vaccination history?

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Yes → Do not administer PEP (Class III)

Background

Bites from a domestic dog, cat, or ferret that is up-to-date with rabies vaccines, with no gaps in vaccine history, do not warrant PEP. If the animal is unvaccinated or has questionable vaccination status, the animal should be confined and observed for 10 days. Animals that remain healthy would not have been infectious at the time of the bite, and if PEP has been initiated, it can be safely discontinued. If the animal becomes ill, it should be euthanized and submitted for testing. When assessing risk from a domestic animal bite, additional factors to consider include the epidemiology of rabies in the area, whether the animal had exposure to wildlife, displayed abnormal behavior or signs of illness, or had unexplained wounds. If the dog, cat, or ferret is a stray, it should be either confined and observed for 10 days or euthanized and tested. For all other domestic animals, consult the local or state health department for guidance.25^{25}

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References
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  52. Tarantola A, Ly S, Chan M, et al. Intradermal rabies post-exposure prophylaxis can be abridged with no measurable impact on clinical outcome in Cambodia, 2003-2014. Vaccine. 2019;37 Suppl 1:A118-A127. (Retrospective; 3318 patients)
  53. Cantaert T, Borand L, Kergoat L, et al. A 1-week intradermal dose-sparing regimen for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (RESIST-2): an observational cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2019;19(12):1355-1362. (Observational; 116 patients)
  54. Bharti OK, Madhusudana SN, Gaunta PL, et al. Local infiltration of rabies immunoglobulins without systemic intramuscular administration: an alternative cost effective approach for passive immunization against rabies. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2016;12(3):837-842. (Observational; 269 patients)
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Animal available for testing
Animal not vaccinated
Animal not vaccinated
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