Volume 14, Number 9—September 2008
Synopsis
Regulatory Systems for Prevention and Control of Rabies, Japan
, Katsuhiko Omoe, and Nobuhiko Okabe
Table 2
Detention period for quarantining imported animals under the Rabies Prevention Law
| Animals | Imported from designated regions (rabies-free regions)* |
Imported from other regions |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detention within 12 h | Detention for >12 h | Detention within 12 h | Detention for >12 h | ||
| Dogs and cats | Necessary procedures before import: prior notification concerning import† attached by a health certificate type A. Contents of type A certificate: 1. Individual identification by microchip‡; 2. residency in the exporting country for at least 180 d immediately before shipment to Japan, or since birth, or continuous residency in the exporting country since being directly imported to Japan; 3. no case of rabies in the exporting country for at least 2 y before exporting the animal; 4. clinical examination showing rabies-free (dog and cat) and leptospirosis-free (dog) proof | Extended quarantine period up to 180 d in the case of omissions in prior notification† attached by a certificate type A | Necessary procedures: prior notification concerning the import† attached by a health certificate type B. Contents of type B certificate: individual identification by microchip,‡ rabies vaccination using inactivated vaccines at least twice, rabies serologic test,§ a wait of at least 180 d between the date of blood sampling (day 0) and the date of arrival of an animal in Japan | Extended quarantine period up to 180 d in the case of omissions in prior notification† attached by a certificate type B | |
| Raccoons, foxes, skunks | Necessary procedures before import: prior notification concerning the import† attached by a health certificate type C. Contents of type C certificate: individual identification by microchip,‡ rabies vaccination using inactivated vaccines at least twice, rabies serologic test,§ clinical examination showing rabies-free proof | Extended quarantine period up to 180 days in the case of omissions in prior notification† attached by a certificate type C | Necessary procedures: prior notification†, individual identification by microchip‡, clinical examination. Fixed quarantine period (180 d) | ||
*Designated regions are Taiwan, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom (only Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Australia, New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Hawaii, and Guam. All regions were designated on June 7, 2005.
†When trying to import dogs or cats, the person must submit the advance notification described below to the Animal Quarantine Service, which has jurisdiction over the person’s intended port of arrival, at least 40 d before arrival in Japan. Notification items include name, address, and contact number of the person submitting the notification; breed of dog/cat; number of animals; intended use; country of export; date and place of import; name and address of consignee/consigner; export location/destination; and individual identification data.
‡An International Organization for Standardization–compliant microchip (ISO11784 and ISO11785) should be used. If another type of microchip is used, a special reader for the microchip is needed.
§For the rabies serologic test, the neutralizing antibody titration test against rabies is necessary after the second vaccination. The test must be carried out by a laboratory designated by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan. Test results must be >0.5 IU/mL.