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Foreword

This Memorandum replaces the edition issued in August 1977. It has been prepared in the light of the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Expert Committee on Rabies 1992, and the Report by the Advisory Group on Quarantine 1998, chaired by Professor Ian Kennedy.

The Kennedy Group's analysis concluded that there would be no significant increase in the already very small risk of importing rabies into Great Britain should quarantine be replaced by a new vaccine-based system for cats, dogs and certain other species travelling to and from certain rabies-free islands and countries. In place of quarantine, the Group proposed a system ensuring the animal is identifiable, vaccinated against rabies, blood tested to confirm immunity, treated against particular parasites, and certified as such.

Following consultation, the Government announced that the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) would be introduced no later than April 2001 and that a pilot would start before April 2000. The pilot starts on 28 February 2000 and is designed to test the practical arrangements before the main scheme is implemented. The pilot is restricted to pet cats and dogs from Western European countries and assistance dogs from Australasia. The publication of an up-to-date Memorandum on Rabies is therefore timely.

The Memorandum has been prepared by the Department of Health in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Public Health Laboratory Service, the Health and Safety Executive, and others. The Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens has been consulted and has endorsed the contents.

This Memorandum is intended primarily for use by the local public health services, especially Consultants in Communicable Disease Control and, in Scotland, Consultants in Public Health Medicine for Communicable Disease and Environmental Health. They will wish to follow the action described in Chapter 4 in particular.

The document is also being made available to others in the medical and allied professions, and to anyone with an interest.

The Chief Medical Officers would welcome feedback which would help improve the content, format and usefulness of this document. Comments should be sent to Hannah Lewis, Room 531B, Skipton House, 80 London Road, London SE1 6LW. e-mail: Hannah.Lewis@doh.gsi.gov.uk

Professor Liam Donaldson
Chief Medical Officer for England

Sir David Carter
Chief Medical Officer for Scotland

Dr Ruth Hall
Chief Medical Officer for Wales