(a) Veterinarians, owners or person caring for an animal shall promptly report to the Health Commissioner all cases of rabid or suspected rabid animals. If no veterinarian is in attendance of a rapid or suspected animal, the owner or person caring for the animal shall make the report to the Health Commissioner as soon as possible.
(b) If there is any doubt as to the diagnosis, the attending veterinarian, owner or person caring for the animal, shall, after the death of the animal, deliver to the laboratory of the Ohio Department of Health or other recognized laboratory, the head or carcass of the suspected rabid animal for examination and laboratory diagnosis.
(c) The veterinarian, owner or person caring for the rabid or suspected rabid animal or contact shall give the Health Commissioner all data pertaining to the animal. This data shall include the name and addresses of all persons having been bitten or having contact with the animals; names and addresses of the owners or persons caring for animals bitten by or having contact with the rabid or suspected rabid animal; chances of infection and any other pertinent information.
(d) All rabid animals shall be destroyed by some suitable and acceptable humane method. All suspected rabid animals, with the exception of wild and feral animals, shall be held in isolation under observation in a place suitable to the Health Commissioner for a period of not less than ten days or more than 180 days, in order to determine the development of observable clinical signs of rabies.
(e) All animal contacts shall be destroyed by some suitable and acceptable humane method or shall be held in quarantine for at least 180 days, under observation, until observable clinical signs of rabies develop. This quarantine shall be held in some place authorized by the Health Commissioner, where no persons or susceptible animal can come in contact with the possible rabid animal.
(f) The place of keeping and the premises where a rabid animal has been quartered shall be cleaned and disinfected to the satisfaction of the Health Commissioner.
(g) Whenever a person is bitten by a susceptible animal, prompt report of such bite shall be made to the Health Commissioner. The report herein required shall be made by the physician attending the person bitten, or, if such person is received at a hospital or other health care facility for treatment, the report herein required shall be made by the person in charge of the hospital or health care facility. This report shall include name, age, and address of the person bitten, the part of the body where the bite was inflicted, and if known, the name and address of the owner or person caring for the animal inflicting the bite. When a physician was not consulted or the person bitten was not taken to a hospital or other health care facility, the report shall be made by the person bitten or any other person who has knowledge of the facts.
(h) Whenever a veterinarian is called upon to observe a susceptible animal that has bitten a person, he shall promptly report the result of his observation to the Health Commissioner. Any susceptible animal inflicting a bite on a person shall be placed in isolation on the owner’s premises or in a place deemed suitable by the Health Commissioner until it is determined to the satisfaction of the Health Commissioner that the animal is not affected with rabies. The isolation period shall not be less than ten days from the day the person was bitten, and there shall be at least two observations made by a veterinarian or health department representative. A veterinarian or health department representative shall make the final observation on the tenth day of the isolation period whenever possible.
(i) When a report is made to the Health Commissioner of a person bitten by a susceptible animal, the Health Commissioner shall notify the owner or a person caring for the animal inflicting the bite that this animal shall be held in quarantine for at least ten days from the date of the bite and that at least two observations shall be made by a veterinarian or a health department representative. The quarantine shall remain in effect until final observation is made by a veterinarian or health department representative. The place of quarantine may be, if suitable, the premises of the owner or the person caring for the animal, a veterinary hospital, or an animal shelter approved by the Health Commissioner. All susceptible animals held under such quarantine shall be boarded and cared for at the expense of the owner or person caring for the animal.
(j) Any anti-rabies treatment given in Franklin County must be administered in accordance with the recommendations of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare Center for Disease Control.
(Res. 07-94. Passed 4-21-94.)