Rabies in a dog imported from Iraq--New Jersey, June 2008

Abstract

Rabies vaccination and stray dog control have led to successful control of canine rabies in the United States. The number of rabid dogs reported decreased from approximately 5,000 in 1950 to 79 in 2006, when the canine rabies virus variant associated with dog-to-dog rabies transmission was declared eliminated in the United States. On June 18, 2008, a mixed-breed dog, recently shipped from Iraq into the United States, was confirmed to have rabies by the Public Health and Environmental Laboratories of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. A total of 24 additional animals in the shipment, all potentially exposed to the rabid dog, were distributed to 16 states. This report summarizes the epidemiologic investigation by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Bergen County Department of Health, and CDC, and the ensuing public health response. These findings underscore the need for vigilance regarding rabies (and other zoonotic diseases) during animal importation to prevent the possible reintroduction and sustained transmission of canine rabies in U.S. dog populations.