One Dog Sparked A Multi-State Health Investigation

When this dog was brought into the United States this month from Azerbaijan, he became the subject of a public health investigation that spanned several states.

He was given to a family in Chester Country, Pennsylvania but sooner after began to exhibit strange behavior. The dog was brought in for an examination and was found to have rabies. The dog was sadly euthanized, however, he/she had already been exposed to at least 12 people.

The dog was imported in a group of 34 consisting of 33 dogs and one cat from Azerbaijan to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on June 10. Luckily, the animals were not stored in the main cabin of the plane or the main terminal of the airport. As a result, the travelers are not believed to be at risk. Currently, health officials are tracking down the other animals for examination.

Though rabies is not a regular issue for dogs within the US, imported animals put them and their parents at risk. This is the fourth instance of a rabid dog being imported into the US since 2015. The proper three were rescue dogs found to possess fraudulent rabies vaccination certificates.

The investigation is a joint effort by federal agencies and health officials in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana. New Jersey and New York. As of July 14, the CDC has imposed a year-long ban on importing dogs from over 100 countries including Azerbaijan. This is a result of an increase in the number of puppies denied entry as they were too young to be fully vaccinated.