U.S. CDC to suspend import of dogs from more than 100 countries over rabies concerns
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday it will temporarily suspend importation of dogs from 113 countries classified as high risk for dog rabies effective July 14.
The suspension applies to all dogs, including puppies, emotional support dogs, and dogs that traveled out of the United States and returning from high-risk countries. It also includes dogs arriving from other countries if they have been in a high-risk country during the previous six months.
The CDC said the “temporary action is necessary to ensure the health and safety of dogs imported into the United States and to protect the public’s health against the reintroduction of canine rabies virus variant (dog rabies) into the United States.”
Emily Pieracci, a veterinary medical officer at the CDC, told Reuters that over the last year during the COVID pandemic “there has been a significant increase in the number of dogs that are being imported and presenting fraudulent or falsified rabies vaccination certificates.”The 113 countries include Russia, China, India, Brazil, Peru, Kenya, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belarus, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Jordan, Ecuador, Cuba, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, the CDC said.
