Animals bite for a variety of reasons, sometimes to communicate, protect, express fear, etc. When they bite humans it is not always an act of aggression or the fault of the animal. However, in an attempt to protect the public health, regulations exist that deal with the control of rabies in animals and the possible spread of the disease to humans.

Rabies is a serious viral disease that is spread through the saliva of an infected animal and it can be fatal to humans if not treated. Rabies deaths for both humans and domesticated pets in the U.S. have been very low, due in large part to the routine immunization of dogs and cats and from having an effective treatment available for human exposures.

However, while rabies cases are rare, it still persists in our environment and the potential to spread the disease exists.

If you’d like more information, please contact our Environmental Health Manager:

Melvin Bustos
(970) 867-4918 ext. 2262
melb@nchd.org

According to regulations in northeast Colorado any dog, cat or ferret that has bitten a human needs to be confined and observed at the owner’s/keeper’s expense for a period of 10 days from the date of the bite.

Refusal to produce an animal that has inflicted a bite on any person constitutes a violation of the regulations and each day of refusal will constitute a separate and individual violation.

When an unvaccinated animal is exposed to a known rabies reservoir (skunk, bat, fox, or other wild animal) a strict 180-day quarantine is enforced; the first 90 days of which will be at an approved facility at the owner’s/keeper’s expense.

Animals that have bitten humans are confined for a period of ten days from the date of the bite so they can be observed for symptoms of rabies. Rabies is a serious virus that infects the central nervous system in humans, causing swelling of the brain. It is transmitted through the bite or saliva of infected animals. Left untreated it will cause death.

If the animal shows no symptoms of rabies during the confinement period and has a current rabies vaccination, it may be released. If the animal shows no symptoms of rabies and is not currently vaccinated, it will be vaccinated at the owner’s/keeper’s expense by a licensed Colorado veterinarian of their choice within 14 days of the animal’s release. A copy of the vaccination certificate needs to be forwarded to the regional office of the Northeast Colorado Health Department.

If the animal does exhibit signs of illness during confinement it will be reported to NCHD by the animal control facility or veterinarian. The animal then needs to be taken to a licensed Colorado veterinarian of the owner’s/keeper’s choice, within NCHD’s jurisdiction and examined at the owner’s/keeper’s expense.

The findings of the examination need to be immediately reported to NCHD by the owner/keeper of the animal and the veterinarian.