When a dog bites a person, it is crucial to quarantine the dog for 10 days in order to monitor the dog for signs of rabies infection. Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is usually fatal once symptoms appear. Quarantining the dog allows time to determine if the dog was infected with rabies at the time of the bite.
What is rabies and why is it concerning after a dog bite?
Rabies is a viral disease that is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals. It is most commonly found in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. However, domestic animals like dogs and cats can also become infected with rabies if they are exposed to these wild animals.
Rabies affects the central nervous system and brain once a person or animal is infected. It causes progressively worsening symptoms like anxiety, confusion, hallucinations, paralysis, and an extreme fear of water. Rabies has a very long incubation period where no symptoms are apparent. This can last anywhere from 1-3 months after the initial exposure. Once symptoms do appear, the disease is nearly always fatal.
This is why rabies is so concerning when a human is bitten by a dog. If the dog was harboring the virus at the time of the bite, the rabies can be transmitted through its infected saliva into the wound. Once within the body, the virus infiltrates the nerves and travels to the brain where it rapidly causes disease.
Fortunately the rabies vaccine is highly effective in preventing disease progression if given shortly after exposure and before symptoms occur. But the key is being able to determine if the biting dog was infected so appropriate treatment decisions can be made.
What are the quarantine procedures and requirements?
When a dog bites someone, it should be quarantined and observed for 10 days according to standards set by the CDC and WHO. This 10 day period is based on the incubation period for rabies symptoms.
There are strict procedures for an in-home vs. pound/vet quarantine:
In-home Quarantine
- The dog must be kept isolated from people and other animals
- The dog should be kept indoors or in an enclosed/secure area if taken outside for bathroom needs
- The dog must be kept on a leash and supervised outside by an adult at all times
- Do not allow the dog to have contact with visitors
- Observe the dog for any signs of illness including changes in behavior or appetite
- Notify animal control if the dog escapes or shows behavioral changes
Pound/Veterinary Quarantine
- The dog must be housed in isolation away from people and other animals
- Staff should wear PPE when interacting with the dog
- The dog should be monitored daily for health status
- Notify animal control if the dog escapes or shows behavioral changes
At the end of the 10 day quarantine period, the dog should be examined by a veterinarian and officially released if no signs of rabies were detected.
What are the signs of rabies infection in dogs?
During the quarantine period, the dog should be carefully observed for any of the following signs that may indicate emerging rabies infection:
- Fever
- Seizures
- Paralysis
- Increased aggression or violent behavior
- Bizarre or restless behavior like excitability or irritability
- Jaw paralysis resulting in open mouth
- Inability to swallow water (hydrophobia)
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Pupillary dilation
If any of these signs appear while the dog is in quarantine, rabies infection should be highly suspected. The state public health department and animal control department should be notified immediately.
What if the dog shows signs of rabies during quarantine?
If a veterinarian determines that the dog is displaying clinical signs consistent with rabies during the 10 day quarantine, then certain steps need to be taken:
- Euthanize the dog under controlled conditions and safely handle the remains to avoid virus exposure
- Send the dog’s brain tissue to the state health department for rabies testing
- Notify animal control authorities as required by law of a potential rabies case
- Notify the bite victim about the suspected rabies exposure from the dog
- Begin post-exposure prophylaxis treatment for the bite victim which involves a series of rabies vaccinations
Taking these steps can potentially life-saving for the exposed person if the dog does end up being rabies positive during analysis.
What happens if the dog remains healthy through the quarantine period?
The best outcome is when a dog remains completely healthy during the 10 day observation period after biting someone. At the end of the quarantine, the dog should be examined by a licensed veterinarian and cleared as showing no signs of rabies infection.
Once officially cleared, the dog can be released from quarantine and allowed to return home. The bite victim can also be notified of the negative rabies findings.
However, its always recommended that the bitten person still receives post-exposure rabies treatment if they have never been vaccinated against the virus before. This involves receiving a fast-acting series of rabies vaccines over 2 weeks which can prevent disease if there was undetectable incubation occurring at the time of bite.
Why euthanize a dog that develops rabies?
Unfortunately if a dog does develop clinical rabies, euthanasia is the commonly accepted measure. The rationale for this practice includes:
- Rabies has no treatment and is nearly 100% fatal once symptoms appear so the dog’s prognosis is grave
- The dog poses a significant public health risk if it remains alive while shedding lethal virus in its saliva
- Rabid animals can demonstrate unpredictable aggression and biting behavior which endangers the community
- Testing and excavation of the brain tissue needed for diagnosis requires the dog to be humanely euthanized
- Rabies causes immense suffering to infected animals, so euthanasia relieves their pain and distress
For these reasons, euthanasia is considered the appropriate option for any dog that develops clinical rabies infection during quarantine observations.
Providing the dog’s brain tissue for analysis
If a dog needs to be euthanized due to suspected rabies infection, the next step is submitting brain tissue samples for diagnostic testing to confirm the diagnosis.
After the dog is put down, the head should be removed carefully and shipped refrigerated or frozen to the laboratory. Specific protocols exist for extracting the brain tissue without damage or contamination of the samples.
Fluorescent antibody staining is performed to detect the presence of rabies virus within the central nervous system. Brain impressions and tissue samples are observed under a microscope to look for evidence of the virus.
Other rapid immunodiagnostic testing methods like enzyme immunoassay may also be performed to detect rabies antibodies from the infection.
Safely Handling Rabid Animals
When handling animals suspected of having rabies, protective precautions need to be taken to avoid accidental exposure:
- Wear waterproof gloves to avoid contact with saliva
- Use tools like tongs when handling the head and brain material
- Disinfect all tools and surfaces afterwards with bleach solution
- Seal the remains in a biohazard labeled container for transport
- Shower and change clothes after handling remains
- Get post-exposure treatment if bite, scratch, or exposure occurred
Notifying the bite victim if rabies is confirmed
The results from the rabies analysis on the dog samples should be available within 48-72 hours after submission. If the test comes back positive, it is crucial to notify the human who was bitten by that dog right away.
Since rabies is such a serious and fatal infection, the bite victim will need to immediately receive post-exposure prophylaxis treatment (PEP). This involves receiving a dose of rabies immune globulin and a series of 4 rabies vaccines over a 2 week period. PEP can prevent the development of a clinical rabies infection after an exposure if given promptly.
The good news is that modern PEP is highly effective with nearly 100% success rate in preventing rabies disease if administered soon after the bite. But fast action is critical in starting PEP, so no time can be lost in warning the bite victim once the dog’s rabies status is confirmed.
| Day | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Day 0 (as soon as possible after exposure) | Rabies immune globulin + first rabies vaccine dose |
| Day 3 | Second rabies vaccine dose |
| Day 7 | Third rabies vaccine dose |
| Day 14 | Fourth rabies vaccine dose |
This essential life-saving treatment should be provided free-of-charge to the bite victim by the appropriate health agency.
Alerting animal control authorities
If a dog is strongly suspected or confirmed to have rabies, animal control should be informed right away both during initial quarantine and once the diagnosis is made.
Animal control keeps records of rabies cases in the community and must be kept up-to-date on the situation. They often provide guidance on the proper procedures for handling rabid animals, submitting samples, and addressing public exposures.
Animal control officers may also perform an investigation to identify how the dog became infected with rabies if it is unknown.
In addition, they can determine if any other animals or individuals may have been exposed to the rabid dog like veterinary staff, shelter workers, groomers, dog walkers, etc. Any of these contacts will also need to receive rabies post-exposure prophylaxis if unvaccinated.
Risks of not properly quarantining a dog after a bite
It is extremely risky and irresponsible not to properly quarantine a dog for 10 days after it bites someone. If rabies incubation is occurring, the virus can rapidly amplify and spread to others once symptoms emerge. Failing to quarantine the dog allows ongoing exposures to humans and animals outside of a controlled setting.
Ultimately this creates a dangerous public health situation if rabies infection is present but goes undetected. Rabies is highly contagious so there is a real possibility of an outbreak occurring if a rabid dog freely interacts with individuals who then also become infected.
In addition, not quarantining prevents the bitten individual from receiving timely post-exposure prophylaxis if the dog develops rabies. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal in humans, so delaying PEP treatment can be devastating or life ending.
It is estimated that more than 29 million people globally receive post-exposure prophylaxis each year after potential rabies exposures, at the cost of over $765 million USD. So failing to properly quarantine dogs not only places lives at risk but is very expensive for healthcare systems.
How common is rabies transmission from dogs?
The good news is that due to very successful canine vaccination programs, dogs are no longer considered the primary source of rabies virus transmission in most developed countries today. However, in parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, dog rabies still causes 99% of human exposures.
According to the WHO, an estimated 59,000 people die worldwide each year from rabies, predominantly caused by dog bites in at risk countries. About 36% of rabies deaths occur in children under the age of 15.
Even in low risk regions, dogs remain the cause of most rabies cases in domestic animals. From 2006 to 2019, 22 dogs tested positive for rabies in the U.S. with 16 cases in the past decade. For this reason, quarantining and observing dogs after bites remains vitally important even in areas where canine rabies is rare.
Legal penalties for avoiding dog quarantine
There can be legal consequences for dog owners who do not comply with confinement and quarantine orders after their dog bites someone.
Laws vary between jurisdictions, but penalties may include:
- Monetary fines up to several thousand dollars
- Misdemeanor charges and criminal prosecution
- Confiscation or euthanasia of the dog
- Mandatory microchipping or restraint of the dog
Owner negligence leading to a rabies death or exposure may also result in manslaughter charges in severe cases. Restrictions placed on the dog after a bite are intended to protect public health, so failure to comply demonstrates legal disregard for community safety.
The quarantine period provides peace of mind
While not common, the possibility of rabies transmission still remains after a dog bite injury. Quarantining the dog allows close observation for any signs of this deadly disease developing.
If the dog remains healthy through the 10 days, this provides great peace of mind that rabies was likely not present. The bite victim can avoid unnecessary post-exposure vaccines and the dog can be released back to its owners.
Quarantine also allows for swift action if the dog does begin showing symptoms consistent with rabies. This gives precious time to both test the animal and treat the exposed person before the virus can establish disease.
In a worst case scenario of the dog developing rabies, the quarantine period permits handling the situation in a controlled manner to prevent wider spread within the community.
For all these reasons, quarantining dogs after bites safeguards individual and public health against the possibility of rabies exposure.
Conclusion
Quarantining a dog for 10 days after it bites someone is extremely important to monitor for signs of rabies infection. Rabies is usually fatal once symptoms develop, so early detection in the dog allows life-saving treatment for the bite victim with post-exposure prophylaxis.
If the dog remains healthy through the quarantine period, rabies exposure is far less likely. If the dog does develop symptoms, quarantine allows for prompt intervention including analysis of brain samples to confirm diagnosis. In addition, animal control and public health authorities can be alerted to initiate prevention measures.
Quarantine also reduces the risks of rabies spreading through uncontrolled contact with a potentially infected dog. Overall, temporarily isolating and observing dogs after bites protects human health and prevents wider spread of this deadly virus.