Overview
- Health agencies have identified 13 people with direct contact to the dog; all have begun post-exposure prophylaxis and none have reported symptoms.
- The less-than-one-year-old dog bit someone on Dec. 11, showed worsening behavior, was euthanized on Dec. 18, and tested positive on Dec. 19.
- The dog was vaccinated for rabies in June, and laboratories are typing the virus to determine the strain and clarify when and where exposure occurred.
- The animal arrived at a Chicago rescue from an out-of-state partner in May, and officials are contacting littermates and other potentially exposed pets, recommending boosters and a 45-day home quarantine when warranted.
- PAWS Chicago says the USDA will retest the vaccine lot used on the dog, while public-health officials emphasize that the overall risk to the public and pets remains low.