Rabies Prevention

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) Rabies Prevention Program serves to protect the public from the threat of rabies.  Rabies is a serious disease that affects animals and humans and can result in death if left untreated. It is commonly associated with wild animals such as raccoons, skunk, bats, foxes and coyotes .  The disease can spread to people and pets when the saliva from a rabid animal enters the body by way of a bite or a scratch, or through contact with the eyes, nose or mouth.

Rabies is very preventable.  CCBH program services and activities are carried out in an effort to minimize human exposure to the disease.   We strive to educate our communities on the importance of vaccinating our pets, avoiding contact with wildlife and strays, and reporting all animal bite and exposure incidents to our office.

All dogs, cats and ferrets residing in the Cuyahoga County Board of Health's jurisdiction are required to be vaccinated against the rabies virus when they turn 4 months old.  Animals are required to be issued a CCBH rabies vaccination tag or microchip after receiving the rabies vaccination at a local veterinary office or clinic.  CCBH maintains a strong working partnership with our local veterinary industry and the Cleveland Academy of Veterinary Medicine.  CCBH provides rabies vaccination tags and microchips at a modest fee to local veterinarians that support the Board of Health's rabies prevention program.  Pet owners are encouraged to take their pets to clinics that support our rabies prevention program and utilize CCBH rabies vaccination tags.    Click on this link to see a list of participating veterinary offices and clinics.

Animal Bite & Exposure Incident Investigations 

State and local rules and regulations require all animal bites, scratches and exposure incidents be reported to the Board of Health within a 24-hour period.

• To report an incident, complete and fax the Animal Bite & Exposure Incident Report form to our office at 216-676-1317 or contact us by phone at 216-201-2020.

• View the Cuyahoga County Distict Board of Health Rabies Control Regulation for information on reporting, quarantine and rabies vaccination requirements.
  

All reported animal bite and exposure incidents are investigated. 

• CCBH staff follow up with animal owners and local veterinarians to ensure that applicable quarantine periods are administered and successfully completed and that required rabies vaccinations are up to date.  View the list of local veterinarians that support our program.

• When animals involved are wild or stray, local animal control officers should be contacted for assistance.  After an animal is trapped and humanely euthanized, CCBH  coordinates the pick-up, preparation, shipment and laboratory testing of each specimen.  Contact us to arrange for testing.  View the list of animal control officers for all of our communities. 
  

ORV Rabies Vaccine and Surveillance Initiative

Since the emergence of raccoon strain rabies in Northeast Ohio in 2004, CCBH has been collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture -Division of Wildlife Services and the Ohio Department of Health to prevent further spread of the disease throughout the state.   In an effort to vaccinate the wild raccoon population, an Oral Rabies Vaccine (ORV) is distributed by CCBH in all communities east of  I-77 each year.  Enhanced surveillance allows us to test target species for rabies to help in evaluating the success of the ORV program and to make determinations about where future efforts should be made.

Link to Ohio Department of Health ORV Program Information

The distribution of ORV is typically scheduled for the Spring and Fall of each year and takes approximately 5 - 10 days to complete.  Communities east of I-77 receive the ORV bait application.  CCBH also accepts animals that are exhibiting symptoms of illness or odd behavior for testing.  After contacting your local animal warden or animal control professional to trap and humanely euthanize the animal, CCBH will arrange the pick-up, preparation, shipment and laboratory testing of the specimen. 

• What is ORV?
• What should I do if I come in contact with ORV?
• Where is ORV applied?
  

Educational Information

CCBH distributes rabies prevention materials throughout our communities.  They can be found at local city halls, community centers and veterinarian offices. To view materials, click on the links below.  To request copies of printed materials, contact our office by phone or email.

• CCBH Rabies Control Regulation
• CCBH Rabies Vaccination Poster
• Rabies Prevention Pamphlet
• Preventing Rabies Handout
• Raccoons and Rabies Pamphlet
• Bats & Rabies Pamphlet
• CDC Rabies Web Site for Kids
• CDC Healthy Pets Healthy People Site

Information for Physicians & Medical Personnel

• CCBH Rabies Exposure Algorithm
• 2008 Rabies Compendium
• Animal Bite & Exposure Report Form
• Providers of Rabies Prophylaxis
• ORV Exposure Form

Information for Veterinarians & Animal Control Personnel

• CCBH Rabies Exposure Algorithm
• 2008 Rabies Compendium
• Animal Bite & Exposure Report Form
• Quarantine Release and Vaccination Verification Form
• Providers of Rabies Prophylaxis
• Rabies Test Specimen Submission Form and Guidelines
• 2010 Rabies Tag and Certificate Order Form

Useful Links

• Ohio Department of Agriculture
• United States Department of Agriculture
  

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For questions regarding our program, please feel free to contact us:

Rick Novickis, RS, MPH          Joe Lynch, R.S.                Stacey Short, R.S. 
Supervisor                           Program Manager             Program Manager
216-201-2001 ext 1208      216-201-2001 ext 1241    216-201-2001 ext 1253
rnovickis@ccbh.net                jlynch@ccbh.net              sshort@ccbh.net