Animal Bites

Report and Investigate

• Every case of a human bitten by a domestic or wild mammal shall be reported within twenty-four (24) hours to the local health officer having jurisdiction. If a physician is in attendance, the physician shall report the bite. The report shall include requested information on post exposure rabies prophylaxis if it is being administered to the bite victim. Each reported bite shall be investigated immediately by the local health officer. This investigation shall be conducted with the purpose of determining the need for post exposure rabies prophylaxis of the bite victim and either:

(A) imposing a ten (10) day observation period on the biting animal (dog, cat, or ferret only) to determine if the animal was capable of transmitting rabies at the time of the biting incident; or

(B) submission of the head, if the biting animal is a potential rabies vector, to the department laboratory to determine if it was infected with rabies.

• Isolation of persons is not necessary.

• Concurrent disinfection is not necessary.