What is the proper quarantine period for a dog or cat involved in a bite on a person without a history of rabies vaccination?

• A. 14 days
• B. 10 days
• C. 7 days
• D. 28 days

Answer: (B)

After a bite by a dog or cat on a person with no rabies vaccination history, the animal is placed under a 10-day quarantine to observe for signs of rabies. This window is chosen because if the animal was infected at the time of the bite, rabies symptoms would typically appear within about 10 days in domestic animals. Watching for changes during this period lets investigators protect people while avoiding unnecessary long-term confinement. If any signs develop, the animal is typically euthanized and tested for rabies; if the animal remains healthy for the full 10 days, the risk of transmission is considered very low, and the animal can be released or return to vaccination as appropriate. The other timeframes are either longer than needed or too short to reliably detect rabies in a bite exposure.