K(no)w rabies: Coming soon to a state near you

Rocky the rabid raccoon bites Doug the dog, who received a three-year rabies vaccine in from his veterinarian

in Tennessee. Is Doug considered “overdue” for his rabies vaccine if he now lives in Kentucky? If this kind of question makes your puzzler sore, here's good news: To solve all of your rabies queries and conundrums,

Merial recently launched RabiesAware.org, a national rabies information resource for the veterinary profession. Led by Richard Ford, DVM, MS, emeritus professor of medicine at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, this site serves up-to-date information on state and local laws.

“The application, interpretation and enforcement of rabies vaccination laws can vary signifi cantly from state to state, and even county to county,” says Dr. Ford. “Complex and sometimes confl icting rabies laws can lead to considerable confusion, misinterpretation of state and local statutes and inappropriate actions on the part of individual practitioners. The information found on RabiesAware.org will not only provide veterinarians and staff access to the most up-to-date information, but it will also ensure that they have the necessary tools to help educate pet owners on the importance of rabies vaccinations.”

Frothing for the data? Here's what you'll find:

> State-specific frequently asked questions

> Surveillance data

> Access to the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians' Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control

> A comprehensive list of available U.S.-approved rabies vaccines

> Contact information for state public health veterinarians.

If your state's not represented, check back regularly. It's coming lickety-split-promise!