Government Policy for Rabies
I wonder what the government doing.
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Contents
- What are Rabies?
- Government Policy
- Summary
What are Rabies?
Rabies is a zoonotic disease that is transmitted through wounds caused by the bite of wild animals, including dogs, cats, and bats, that carry the rabies virus.
Click here for more information on the specific symptoms.
Government Policy
Management of Dogs and Their Owners
If you own a dog, you must notify your local municipality. Through this notification, the owner of the dog will be identified, and if rabies is confirmed, the surrounding community area will take prompt action.
Vaccination
The number of dogs that have received preventive shots and the vaccination rate (number of shots/number of registered dogs) is managed. Furthermore, posters and leaflets are used to encourage people to get shots once a year.
Tags and Injection Slips
Owners are required to make their pets wear the issued dog tags and injection slips.
Rabies prevention officers detain dogs whose owners are unknown or who have not received their shots properly (i.e., dogs that do not have their dog tags and injection slips) at public health centers to check if they have owners.
Guidelines for Dealing with Rabies
Currently, rabies has not been confirmed in Japan, but there are still many cases of rabies overseas.
For this reason, guidelines for dealing with rabies were established in 2001 in case an outbreak of rabies should occur.
These guidelines include
The guidelines are designed to prevent the spread of rabies in the event that rabies is confirmed, and to take measures to prevent subsequent infection by describing in detail not only how to deal with rabies-infected animals but also how to investigate the source of infection.
Summary
The following measures are currently being taken by the government,
