PET PASSPORT CHANGES-SUCCESS RE ECHINOCOCCUS MULTILOCULARIS

摘要

As expected, there will be changes to the pet passport regulations from January 1 next. In essence, in respect to rabies, the main change is that pets travelling from other EU and qualifying 'low risk' countries (see the DAFF website for details of these countries) to Ireland will no longer have to have undergone a rabies blood test. The pet will still need to have a pet passport, and will stiil need to be up to date with their rabies vaccinations (as per the manufacturers' stated duration of immunity on the data sheet), but once 21 days has elapsed from the date of the vaccine they can travel into Ireland. However, it is important to note that this change applies from January 1, 2012, only. Until that date a pet must have had a successful rabies blood test at least six months previous to the date of entry into Ireland. The net effect for you in practice is that, for pets going on holidays to the EU it is no longer necessary to undergo a rabies blood test as it is less than six months to the date of the new regulations coming into force.While Veterinary Ireland would have much preferred if the rabies blood testing requirement remained in place, and had lobbied extensively to keep this in place, we have to recognise that because of the effective eradication of rabies in the EU the risk of introduction of rabies has decreased to the point that the new regulations will continue to protect us adequately, albeit perhaps not quite as strongly as the previous rules did.