[Quarantine to be abolished for dogs and cats. New regulations for import of pets from EU/EFTA countries].

Owing to its natural geographical borders and strict import restrictions, Sweden has remained free from rabies since 1886. New regulations are to come into force on May 1st, 1994, permitting pet dogs and cats from EU-EFTA countries to enter Sweden without quarantine, but only after vaccination against rabies and subsequent antibody titre control. Dogs should be at least three months old before vaccination, and cats 14 months old. Antibody titres are to be tested no earlier than four months after vaccination, though in cases of re-vaccination they may be checked already after one month for dogs and after four months for cats. The rabies antibody titre should be at least 0.5 IU to permit entry of the animal into Sweden. The owner will be required to show a Swedish import permit at customs, and some means of identifying the animal will be necessary--e.g., a tattoo in the ear. Other zoonoses could also be introduced into the country by imported animals, the most feared being echinococcosis and leptospirosis. The new regulations stipulate that, in addition to being vaccinated against canine distemper, dogs should also have been vaccinated against leptospirosis less than 12 months before entry in Sweden. This does not apply to cats, but both dogs and cats should have been dewormed less than ten days before entry or re-entry into Sweden. Although the new system should effectively prevent the introduction of rabies into Sweden, an increased demand by the public for information and advice is expected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)