Rabies virus
Rabies Antibody Detection
The travel process.
Requirements vary by destination; the sequence rarely does.
- Day 0 Microchip, then vaccinate
- ≥ 30 days Blood sample taken
- 48 hours FAVN titration
- 3 months Travel to the EU
01 Before testing
A prerequisite for the import of dogs, cats and ferrets is an unequivocal identification of the animals. The labelling has to take place before vaccination against rabies.
Afterwards the animal has to be vaccinated against rabies with an in the exporting country approved vaccine (corresponding to WHO/OIE standards). The animal must be 12 weeks or older by the first vaccination. Although a single vaccination is accepted for travel purposes we strongly recommend a second vaccination, a so-called booster about 4 weeks after the first one to increase the chance of an antibody titre equal or above 0,5 IU/ml.
Between vaccination and blood sampling a certain time period is determined. The period can vary from country to country, for entering EU it's generally 30 days after the first vaccination. A period of 3 months is also determined between date of blood sampling and date of entering EU. This is grounded in the long incubation time of rabies virus. It is also possible that animals have been vaccinated after a natural infection and therefore come down with rabies.
02 The blood sample
An authorized veterinarian has to draw the blood sample and process it to serum (about 0,5). The sample should be sent to our laboratory accompanied by a fully filled-out application form. All samples have to be labeled unequivocally, this means data on the vial and application form must match (e.g. pet's name or microchip number).
03 Sample shipment
Germany / EU
Sera for rabies antibody testing can be shipped by general post or courier service as „Freigestelltes Veterinärmedizinisches Untersuchungsmaterial (exempted veterinary sample material)“.
Non-European countries
VVD has an import permit ("Einfuhrgenehmigung") for sample material of dogs and cats for rabies antibody testing. According to EU-regulations the import permit must be attached to the outside of the package.
Furthermore the following declaration is important (can be written on the airway bill and / or pro forma invoice for customs declaration):
"Non-infectious serum sample (dog or cat) for titration of rabies antibodies according to the EU regulation on movement of pet animals at an approved laboratory".
According to information from customs in Germany, a proforma invoice must be enclosed for serum samples to detect antibodies against the rabies virus.
In order to ensure the handling of your samples, please note the following points:
- the contents must be correctly labelled/declared: "Blood samples (serum) from dogs/cats/ferrets for rabies titer determination (duty-exempt) for import into the EU",
- if they choose DTP service ("duty taxes paid" all costs are borne by the sender), we also recommend to use the incoterm "Delivery duty paid" (DDP),
- Please enclose a pro forma invoice for EUR 1 or $1.
- please indicate HS-code 30029030000 to avoid taxation
The above information must be clearly visible on the outside of the package (e.g. in the shipping bag).
Please note that costs can accrue at customs declaration or border inspection if the shipment was not created with all necessary details. Our laboratory does not cover any of these costs. To ensure a prompt processing of the samples, the shipment should be declared with "Duty, Taxes Paid" service (DTP). If this is not the case VVD reserves its right to refuse the receiving. For that case the carrier is forced to return the shipment.
04 The test
All samples are tested by the Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization (FAVN) test according to the regulations of the World Organisation for Animal Health (O.I.E.). It's performed twice a week (Mon, Wed) and takes 48 hours.
If an antibody titre of 0,5 IU/ml or above could be measured, a certificate is issued and sent to the sending veterinarian (b/w copy by e-mail / fax in advance is possible). Report can be sent directly to pet owner if indicated on the application form. The test result has to be confirmed by the veterinarian (inscription in vaccination passport or travel document).
If the titer is below the required 0.5 IU/ml, vaccination and testing have to be repeated (including the required time periods). The certificate remains valid for the animal's lifetime if following vaccinations have been done within the manufacturer's determined time interval. Otherwise the test has to be repeated.
05 Digital Certificates
We have been offering digitally signed certificates for quite some time. Our certificates bear an advanced electronic seal based on a qualified certificate for electronic seals under the EU eIDAS regulation (https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eidas-regulation). The seal offers the following advantages:
- Authenticity: The seal confirms that the information truly originates from the stated sender.
- Integrity: The seal allows verification that the document has not been altered.
You can verify that a document is digitally signed in several ways:
- Opening the document (PDF) in Adobe Acrobat (blue bar: “Signed and all signatures are valid”) - click on the seal opens its properties
- Validating the document on the EU eIDAS homepage via the eIDAS Dashboard (registration required)
- Using the EU DSS Demonstration WebApp (no registration required)
- Using the VerifySignature EU homepage: Verify digital signature and seal online - VerifySignature.eu (limited number of free verifications)
Please note: Digitally signed documents are only valid in their electronic form. A printed copy has no official validity.
Please note that digitally signed certificates can no longer be changed. For this reason, before the final issuance, you will receive a sample of the certificate for information and confirmation.
06 Counterfeit protection for certificates
Unfortunately, the rabies certificates we issue are often subject to forgery. Therefore, we do not send color copies and scans sent by email have a watermark. In addition, our original certificates now have copy protection. When trying to make a copy, "copy" is displayed in the background.
07 Duplicates
If documents are lost, we can create duplicates. The duplicates issued by us are a duplicate of the original document without any changes to the data with the exception of a possible new creation date. Duplicates are manually signed and stamped and have the same value as the original certificate.
08 Corrections to certificates
Results may need correction because of testing errors, sample mix-ups, data-entry mistakes, incorrect submitter details or additional tests on the same sample. Depending on the error and its impact, we inform the submitter immediately by telephone and/or email, as soon as possible by email, or through a written correction. Corrected results clearly state that they have been corrected and why, while the original data are retained. Travel certificates are amended only in justified exceptional cases and within strict limits on changes to identifying details. Every correction and permitted amendment is documented for traceability. Read the correction policy
Choose the tests in the online submission and print the accompanying form for the parcel.