The Swiss Rabies Centre
Opening hours and availability
The Swiss Rabies Centre is open from Monday to Friday (working days). Due to our work in the laboratory, we are only sporadically available by phone, so please contact us preferably by e-mail. Please note that under certain circumstances it may take 2 - 3 weeks from the time the sample arrives at the laboratory until the result is available.
The Swiss Rabies Centre
The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) is responsible for matters concerning travel requirements for pets. Relevant information is available online: Crossing the border with dogs, cats or ferrets, Overview of animal diseases and Animal disease diagnostics (in German, French or Italian). Specific questions can also be sent to info@blv.admin.ch.Medical advice for travellers: www.healthytravel.ch
Rabies testing in animals
Due to staff shortages and the high volume of samples, it currently takes up to three weeks from the arrival of the sample at the laboratory to the availability of the result.
Rabies testing in humans
In rabies vaccination, a distinction is drawn between preventive vaccination before any contact with the virus (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and the more complicated vaccination after possible contact (post-exposure prophylaxis) (FOPH guidelines and recommendations: pre- and post-exposure rabies prophylaxis in humans, German).
The epidemiology of rabies
Worldwide, there are an estimated 59,000 human fatalities every year. Around 99 percent of these cases are due to bites from infected dogs (= urban rabies). Prophylactic vaccination is therefore recommended before travel to rabies-risk countries. Before its eradication, the main form of rabies in Switzerland was silvatic rabies, with the red fox as its reservoir.
Request for rabies titre verification
Sufficient = quantitative result ≥ 0.5 I.U./mlInsufficient = quantitative result < 0.5 I.U./ml