(a) Report of Bite of Dog or Other Animal. Whenever a person is bitten by a dog or other animal, report of such bite shall be made within twenty-four hours to the Health Commissioner of the district in which such bite occurred. The report herein required shall be made in the same manner and by the same persons made responsible for reporting diseases listed as Class A in Rule 3701-3-02, of the Ohio Administrative Code, or by the person bitten.
(1) Biting dog or cat.
A. Whenever it is reported to the Health Commissioner of a health district that any dog or cat has bitten a person, that dog or cat shall be quarantined under an order issued by the Health Commissioner of the health district in which the bite was inflicted. The dog or cat shall be quarantined by its owner or by a harborer, or shall be quarantined in a pound or kennel. In all cases, said quarantine shall be under the supervision of the Health Commissioner and shall be at the expense of the owner or harborer. Quarantine shall continue until the Health Commissioner of the health district in which the bite was inflicted determines that the dog or cat is not afflicted with rabies. The quarantine period hereby required shall not be less than ten days from the date on which the person was bitten. If any time during the quarantine the Health Commissioner requires the dog or cat to be examined for symptoms of rabies, then the examination shall be by a licensed doctor of veterinary medicine. The veterinarian shall report to the Health Commissioner the conclusions reached as a result of the examinations. The examination by a veterinarian shall be released from the required quarantine unless and until it has been properly vaccinated against rabies.
B. If any quarantined dog or cat dies before the quarantine period expires, then the head of the animal shall be submitted to the Ohio Department of Health Laboratories for rabies examination.
C. If the owner or harborer of the dog or cat is unknown, the Health Commissioner may direct that the dog or cat be sacrificed, in which case the head of the animal shall be submitted to the Ohio Department of Health Laboratories for rabies examination.
(2) Other biting animals. Whenever it is reported to the Health Commissioner of the health district that any animal that is commonly known to transmit rabies has bitten a person, the Health Commissioner, at his/her discretion, may direct the immediate sacrificing of said animal by a suitable humane method. The head of said animal shall then be submitted to the Ohio Department of Health Laboratories for rabies examination.
(b) Report of Suspected Rabid Animal. Any veterinarian or other person who examines, treats, owns, harbors, or otherwise cares for any animal which exhibits symptoms or behavior suggestive of rabies, shall confine and isolate such animal in suitable quarters and shall report such fact within twenty-four hours to the health commissioner of the health district wherein such animal is confined. Such animal shall be confined until it has been determined that it is not affected with rabies. If it is determined that the animal is rabid, the health commissioner shall take such position as is necessary to prevent the occurrence of rabies in persons known or presumed to have been exposed to such rabid animal.
(Res. 07-94. Passed 4-21-94.)