Vaccine hesitancy has spilled over into pet owners in recent years, raising concerns about the resurgence of rabies, an almost certainly deadly virus.
Some pet owners oppose vaccinating their dogs due to concerns that vaccines may shorten their dog’s lifespan or the belief that vaccines can cause autism in dogs. There are some too. But the range of autism symptoms is unique to humans, and experts say anti-vaccination campaigns by dog owners are especially dangerous given the public health implications of rabies.
“Fortunately, rabies is not common, but the consequences are dire,” Dr. Lena Carlson, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, told USA TODAY. “It’s basically 100% lethal. So getting your cat or dog vaccinated against rabies is very important on many levels.”
The AVMA’s Carlson emphasized how important it is for people to talk to their veterinarians about vaccines and the risks their pets face if they are not vaccinated.
What is rabies?
Rabies is spread when an infected animal bites or scratches a person, entering the mammal’s nervous system. The virus becomes especially dangerous when it reaches the brain. The incubation period can last from a few days to a year or more.
When rabies enters the brain, the animal becomes rabid, causing flu-like symptoms in which the brain swells. The disease is fatal when infected people or animals suddenly lose breathing and heart function.
Rabies concerns:This strain of rabies did not exist west of the Appalachians until feral kittens appeared in Nebraska.
The risks of not vaccinating against this disease apparently do not resonate with some pet owners.
Matt Motta, an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, calls this a “ripple effect” among people hesitant about human vaccines, which has surged in the population during the coronavirus pandemic. He worries that “canine vaccine hesitancy” could increase in states that require rabies vaccinations. Repealing these laws would threaten decades of successful health initiatives.
“We expect to see more and more unvaccinated dogs,” he told USA TODAY. “This is a public health threat, not just to our pets, but to all of us.”
In 2023, Motta and his sister, Dr. Gabriela Motta, a Pennsylvania veterinarian, published a study showing that nearly 40% of U.S. dog owners believe that dog vaccines are unsafe. Approximately 37% of owners thought vaccinations could cause their dog to develop autism.
The reality is that rabies vaccines are safe, Motta said.
Approximately 2 out of 1 million dogs develop serious complications from vaccines.
Autism in dogs is an underrecognized condition, the AVMA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told USA TODAY. The idea that human measles, mumps and rubella vaccines cause autism in children has long been rejected. But its effects remain, causing some people to refuse to vaccinate their children. Government officials say this avoidance has contributed to several recent outbreaks and warn that vaccines are essential to community health. Pet vaccine avoidance follows a similar pattern.
public health:How is leprosy spreading in the United States? Some experts point to armadillos.
As with measles, health officials have been working for decades to eliminate canine rabies, a variant unique to dogs. Successful public health campaigns include LEAD laws, access to animal shelters, and vaccinations. Variants of rabies in North American wildlife are still circulating and can infect dogs.
Rabies dogs remain an international concern, and nearly all deaths from rabies are acquired through dog bites. It typically kills about 59,000 people a year.
Dr. Ryan Wallace, director of the CDC’s rabies program, said about 75 million dogs have been vaccinated in the last three years, which appears to be a decline in vaccinations despite changing views. He said that means it is invisible. The AVMA, like the CDC, has not seen a significant drop in vaccinations, but the numbers are difficult to track.
Wallace discusses people’s awareness of pet vaccines (some people express hesitancy) and that although most states require dog vaccinations, the majority of pet owners do not comply. He said it is important to distinguish between laws that appear to be
A common problem in public health is that people are unaware of the problems at hand when the system is working. Rabies causes very few deaths (about 1 to 3 per year) in the United States, and 60,000 Americans have received a rabies vaccine after coming into contact with a suspected rabid animal. And rabies is still prevalent among wild animals.
“We focus on how many of these rare deaths occur,” he said, “but what we really should be focusing on is how often people and their pets get rabies.” of animals, because they are already gone.”
