USA BANNED DOGS IMPORTS FROM RUSSIA AND 112 MORE COUNTRIES

The restrictions are temporary, but the US believes that measures are necessary to protect animals and people from contracting the dog rabies virus. In addition to Russia, the list includes Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the countries of South America and Africa, the Caribbean, mainland China, and a part of Asia.

About 6% of dogs are imported to the United States from the listed countries.

The duration of the measures in force is not specified. However, the authorities noted that in some exceptional cases, dog owners may be allowed to import animals. But an application for this must be sent at least 6 weeks before you intend to enter the U.S.

If this is not done, the dogs will be sent back at the owner's expense. The banned countries are included in the list of countries with a high risk of infection with dog rabies.

The rabies virus was eradicated in the United States in 2007, but now the authorities have to ensure that the disease is not re-introduced, since even one infected animal is enough for a new outbreak.

Now all the dogs in the U.S. are vaccinated against rabies at the age of 3-4 months, and then at the age of one year.

Further, adult animals are vaccinated every 3 years. Despite the fact that rabies in the States has been technically eliminated, about 5,000 cases of the disease are recorded annually, almost 90% of them occur in wildlife (foxes, raccoons, mice).

Over the past 50 years, 127 cases of human rabies have been reported in the United States. It is interesting that almost a quarter of the patients were infected from dogs while traveling abroad.