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Rabies PreventionThe 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.
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 InvestigationsState 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.
All reported animal bite and exposure incidents are investigated.
ORV Rabies Vaccine and Surveillance InitiativeSince 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
Educational InformationCCBH 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.
Information for Physicians & Medical Personnel
Information for Veterinarians & Animal Control Personnel
Useful LinksFor 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 |

