Planning issues within the City’s sphere of influence are handled by the San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, located in the County Government Building at 385 N. Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino. Land Use Services may be contacted at (909) 387-8311.

My property in the County area is currently served by a private sewer (septic) system. Can I connect to the City sewer system?

City sewer mains are located in a limited number of streets within the unincorporated County area. Property owners on those streets desiring to connect to sewer are required to execute an agreement and pay certain fees.

The placement of newspaper racks within the public right-of-way is generally protected under the First Amendment. However, if a newspaper rack is obstructing a public sidewalk or is impacting sight distance visibility for pedestrians or motorists, the City can require it to be relocated.

Yes, the City contracts with the Inland Valley Humane Society (IVHS) to provide animal control and licensing services to Montclair residents. Dogs are required to be licensed, but not cats. IVHS is a full-service facility, offering education, pet adoption, and care for sick or injured animals.

Inland Valley Humane Society and SPCA

500 Humane Way (corner of Mission Boulevard)

Pomona, CA 91766

(909) 623-9777

(909) 594-9858 (24-hour emergency line)

Montclair is served by two school districts. The Ontario-Montclair School District (OMSD) serves students in grades K-8, and the Chaffey Joint Union High School District (CJUHSD) provides education for high school students. OMSD operates ten elementary schools and three middle schools serving Montclair students. All high school students residing in Montclair attend Montclair High School. The links below illustrate the elementary and middle school attendance boundaries within the City of Montclair. Simply click on the link you would like to view.

Elementary School Boundary Map

Middle School Boundary Map

For further information, contact the respective school districts as indicated below:

Ontario-Montclair School District

950 West D Street

Ontario, CA 91762

(909) 459-2505

Chaffey Joint Union High School District

211 West Fifth Street

Ontario, CA 91762

(909) 988-8511

No, the restrictions are not enforced because there is no street sweeping on those days.

Holidays include New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Contact Southern California Edison at (800) 409-2365 for a free brochure on energy conservation tips.

Or visit their website at: http://www.sce.com/tips/residential/default.htm

Montclair residents may dispose of their household hazardous waste, including used motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, household cleaners, paint, batteries, and many other items found in most homes and garages at one of the following HHW collection centers, free of charge (limit 15 gallons or 125 lbs. per trip):

In addition to disposing of HHW materials, used oil containers are available to all Montclair residents, free of charge, at the Upland City Yard collection center.  Drain used oil into container; when full, return to Upland City Yard for proper disposal and they will return it to you, clean, while you wait!

For additional information, you may call (800) CLEANUP or contact our Sewer and Trash Customer Service Representative at (909) 625-9472. 

You may also take your used oil and used oil filters only to one of the following Certified Used-Oil Collection Centers:

Montclair residents may dispose of their household hazardous waste, including used motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, household cleaners, paint, batteries, and many other items found in most homes and garages at one of the following HHW collection centers, free of charge (limit 15 gallons or 125 lbs. per trip):

In addition to disposing of HHW materials, used oil containers are available to all Montclair residents, free of charge, at the Upland City Yard collection center.  Drain used oil into container; when full, return to Upland City Yard for proper disposal and they will return it to you, clean, while you wait!

For additional information, you may call (800) CLEANUP or contact our Sewer and Trash Customer Service Representative at (909) 625-9472. 

You may also take your used oil and used oil filters only to one of the following Certified Used-Oil Collection Centers:

Mid Valley Landfill
2390 Alder Avenue
Rialto, CA 92377

(909) 386-8701

Business Hours

Monday through Friday
7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Take the 10 Freeway east, exit at Sierra Avenue and go north to Highland Avenue, then east to Alder Avenue, and north to the entrance.

or

Take the 10 Freeway east, north on the 15 Freeway, east on the 210 Freeway to Alder Avenue, then north to the entrance.

Each year Montclair provides a Christmas Tree Recycling Program.  Beginning the first weekday after Christmas and through the first week in January, trees can be placed curbside.  Please remove all stands, ornaments, tinsel, plastic, nails, and other objects from trees before setting them out.  Flocked trees will not be accepted in the recycling program.

A 40-yard dumpster is also placed at Chino Basin Water Conservation District (CBWCD), 4594 San Bernardino Street, for businesses and residences without curbside collection.

For more information regarding the Christmas Tree Recycling Program, please contact our Sewer and Trash Customer Service Representative at (909) 625-9472.

Yes, if a City sewer main is available adjacent to your property.  Contact the Public Works Department at (909) 625-9446.

If your property is located in unincorporated San Bernardino County within Montclair's sphere of influence, it may also be possible to connect if a City-owned and maintained sewer main is available.  Contact the Planning Division at (909) 625-9477 for information on the application process and fees.

For just $24 per year or $4 per trash and sewer billing cycle for residential subscribers or $50 per year for businesses with 15 or fewer employees and $100 per year for businesses with 16 or more employees, you may subscribe to Montclair Fire Department-provided Emergency Medical Services (EMS).  This program includes all Basic Life Support services and Advanced Life Support (paramedic) services provided by the Fire Department.

Under no circumstances will the delivery and application of available Paramedic services provided by the Montclair Fire Department be delayed or refused based upon a person's or businesses participation in the Paramedic Subscription Program or their ability to pay.

All Montclair residents and businesses have the opportunity to participate in the Paramedic Subscription Program.  Membership provides unlimited use of the EMS services provided by the Montclair Fire Department for the subscribers and their family members and for the business owners and their employees.

Montclair residents may dispose of their household hazardous waste, including used motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, household cleaners, paint, batteries, and many other items found in most homes and garages at one of the following HHW collection centers, free of charge (limit 15 gallons or 125 lbs. per trip):

Montclair residents may dispose of their household hazardous waste, including used motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, household cleaners, paint, batteries, and many other items found in most homes and garages at one of the following HHW collection centers, free of charge (limit 15 gallons or 125 lbs. per trip):

Keeping Our Community Green

The following collection facilities accept e-waste:

Upland City Yard
1370 North Benson
(909) 931-4242
Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Chino City Public Works Services Center
5050 Schaefer Avenue
(909) 334-3266
2nd & 4th Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Ontario
1430 South Cucamonga Avenue
(909) 382-5401
Fridays and Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Items accepted include, (but are not limited to):

The following items will not be accepted:

If you are unsure if an item is considered e-waste, please contact one of the above collection centers for verification.

Please see the attached map for your street-sweeping day.

Trash Collection & Street Sweeping Schedule

Please see the attached map for your trash collection day.

Trash Collection & Street Sweeping Schedule

The following items cannot be placed in your green greenwaste container:

• Dirt
• Concrete
• Rock
• Palm fronds
• Cactus
• Animal waste
• Food waste

The following items can be placed in your green greenwaste container:

• Grass clippings
• Leaves
• Tree trimmings
• Brush
• Shrub trimmings
• Weeds

The following items cannot be placed in your blue recycling container:

• Auto parts
• Batteries
• Bicycles
• Ceramic dishes/cups
• Clothing
• Computer monitors
• Drinking glasses
• Egg cartons
• Furniture, carpet and other products containing fabric
• Garden hoses
• Light bulbs
• Metal lawn furniture
• Mirrors
• Plastic grocery bags
• Plastic lawn furniture
• Plastic margarine tubs
• Plastic pools and toys
• Safety glass
• Soiled pizza boxes
• Stereos and TVs
• Styrofoam cups
• Styrofoam packaging
• Styrofoam plates
• Used aluminum foil
• Used diapers
• Used paper plates
• Used tissue products
• Wax paper
• Windows

Place these items in your trash container or call for disposal information.

The following items can be placed in your blue recycling container:

• Aluminum beer and soda cans
• Antifreeze bottles
• Assorted food jars
• Assorted plastics #1 through #7
• Baby food jars
• Beer bottles
• Brochures
• Cardboard
• Catalogs
• Cereal boxes
• Computer paper
• Condiment jars
• Crayon drawings
• Egg cartons
• Envelopes
• Food boxes
• Fruit and vegetable cans
• Jam and jelly jars
• Juice bottles
• Juice boxes
• Juice cans
• Junk mail
• Metal coat hangers
• Magazines
• Mixed paper
• Milk cartons
• Newspapers
• Pet food cans
• Plastic laundry jugs
• Plastic soda bottles
• Shampoo and lotion bottles
• Soda/beer cartons
• Telephone books
• Tissue boxes
• Wine and liquor bottles
• Wrapping paper

The following items cannot be placed in your black trash container: 

• Household Hazardous Waste
• Dirt, rock, or concrete
• Dead animals
• Greenwaste

The following items can be placed in your black trash container: 

• Food waste
• Animal waste (up to 25% of volume only)
• Kitty litter
• Palm fronds and trimmings
• Cactus or succulents
• Disposable diapers
• Clothing
• Plastic bags
• Soiled paper products

Yes.  If you are 65 years of age or older, just come in to City Hall and fill out a senior discount card or click on the link below for an application.  Proof of age is required, the trash and sewer account must be in the applicant's name and the applicant must reside at the service address.

City of Montclair Senior Citizen Trash Service Discount Application (Ages 65 and over)

Yes.  You may pay your trash and sewer bill on our webpage by credit card or check.  Just click on the link below to get started. Any payments made after 5:00 p.m. will be applied on the following business day.

https://montclair.dpnetbill.com/

Yes.  To set up your direct payment, please contact Customer Service at (909) 625-9472 to request an application or click on the link below to download an application.  The account holder's signature and a voided check are required to complete this process.  The payment will be deducted from your checking account on the 10th day of the month unless that day falls on the weekend, in which case the account will be debited on the Monday immediately following the 10th day.

City of Montclair Optional Automatic Payment Plan (APP) (English)

City of Montclair Optional Automatic Payment Plan (APP) (Spanish)

Yes, for your convenience we have two payment boxes located at City Hall, 5111 Benito Street.  Payments received by 7:00 a.m. will receive same day credit.  Payments for trash and sewer, business license and City insurance payments may be deposited in the drop boxes.

• Walk-up drop box is located next to the City Hall entrance on Benito Street.
• Lobby drop box is located on the counter next to the payment windows.

Payments may be made inside City Hall, Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Payments may also be made by mail, utility drop box outside City Hall, automatic deduction from your checking account, or by credit card.

See link for more information: https://montclair.dpnetbill.com/

Yes.  The City of Montclair requires weekly trash collection service for all residential and commercial properties. 

The benefits of this mandate are:

• Discourages illegal dumping.
• Supports the City's recycling goals by providing a controlled waste stream.
• Promotes public health by ensuring weekly trash removal from all properties within the City.

Handicap placards and handicap license plates are issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).  You may be eligible for disabled person license plates and/or a parking placard if you are permanently disabled.  Temporary parking placards valid for up to six months are available to individuals with temporary disabilities.  A doctor's certification is required for persons whose mobility is impaired due to:

• Cardiovascular (heart or circulatory) disease.
• Pulmonary (lung) disease.
• A diagnosed disease or disorder which significantly limits the use of lower extremities.
• Specific visual problems including low-vision or partial-sight.
• Loss, or the loss of the use of, one or both lower extremities or of both hands.  A doctor's certification is not required if there is a loss of a lower extremity or both hands, and the person appears in person at the DMV office.

Below is a listing of the local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices.

Pomona

1600 S. Garey Avenue 
Pomona, CA 91766
(800) 777-0133

Rancho Cucamonga

8678 Archibald Avenue 
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(800) 777-0133

Riverside

6280 Brockton Avenue 
Riverside, CA 92506
(800) 777-0133

For additional DMV locations call (800) 777-0133.

Or visit: http://www.dmv.ca.gov

You may renew your driving license with your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office. 

Pomona

1600 S. Garey Avenue 
Pomona, CA 91766
(800) 777-0133

Rancho Cucamonga

8678 Archibald Avenue 
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(800) 777-0133

Riverside

6280 Brockton Avenue 
Riverside, CA 92506
(800) 777-0133

For additional DMV locations call (800) 777-0133.

Or visit: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/

You may renew your driving license with your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office. 

Pomona

1600 S. Garey Avenue 
Pomona, CA 91766
(800) 777-0133

Rancho Cucamonga

8678 Archibald Avenue 
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(800) 777-0133

Riverside

6280 Brockton Avenue 
Riverside, CA 92506
(800) 777-0133

For additional DMV locations call (800) 777-0133.

Or visit: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/

Detailed instructions about what to do when you receive a traffic citation are located on the back side of the defendant's copy of the citation.  Questions about the court appearance process or requirements should be directed to the San Bernardino County Superior Court Traffic Division at (909) 350-9764 (adults).  Questions about traffic citations issued to juveniles (under 18-years of age) should be directed to Juvenile Traffic Court at (909) 481-4270.

Information is also available at the San Bernardino County Superior Court website at http://www.sb-court.org/Divisions/Traffic/PayTrafficTicket.aspx

Detailed instructions about what to do when you receive a traffic citation are located on the back side of the defendant's copy of the citation.  Questions about the court appearance process or requirements should be directed to the San Bernardino County Superior Court Traffic Division at (909) 350-9764 (adults).  Questions about traffic citations issued to juveniles (under 18-years of age) should be directed to Juvenile Traffic Court at (909) 481-4270.

Information is also available at the San Bernardino County Superior Court website at http://www.sb-court.org/Divisions/Criminal/CaseInformationOnline.aspx

For questions about procedures for paying or contesting a parking citation, contact Enforcement Technology at (800) 654-7275.

For questions about a particular violation of the Vehicle Code or Montclair Municipal Code, contact the Montclair Police Department at (909) 621-4771.

There are a few possible explanations for why a vehicle may have been removed from its location:  The vehicle may have been towed from private property for parking where parking is prohibited or it may have been towed by the police department if it was parked on the city streets and was in violation of law, such as registration expired over six months, five or more unpaid parking citations, or if it was deemed a hazard.  The vehicle may have been repossessed if the payments are in default. Another possibility is that the vehicle may have been stolen.

If you find that your vehicle has vanished, call the Montclair Police Department at (909) 621-4771.  You will need to provide the vehicle license plate number and last known location so that police personnel may assist you in determining if the vehicle was stored, repossessed, or stolen and provide you with appropriate instructions based on that determination.

Please visit the Human Services Division's website here.

The City is served by buses operated by Omnitrans, which generally covers the valley area of San Bernardino County between Montclair and Yucaipa, and Foothill Transit, which provides bus service to the geographical area between Downtown Los Angeles and the Montclair Transcenter. Metrolink provides rail service on its San Bernardino line seven days a week, serving local residents from the Montclair Transcenter, located on Richton Street between Monte Vista and Central Avenues. For schedules, click on the desired links below:

Omnitrans

Foothill Transit

Metrolink

Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension

The proposed Foothill Extension of the Metro Gold Line will extend the light rail line easterly from its current terminus in Pasadena through the cities of Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair. A trip from the Montclair Transcenter to downtown Pasadena would take a little over 40 minutes and to Los Angeles, approximately 75 minutes. Light rail will assist with the planning goals of redistributing growth and strengthening established downtowns in the foothill communities. It will offer shorter commuting trips, increased energy savings (estimated 1.5 million gallons of gasoline each year) and reduced levels of pollution (estimated 4 tons of carbon monoxide). Phase 2A (from Pasadena to Azusa) is currently under construction; Phase 2B (from Azusa to Montclair) is expected to be open in 2016.

Bus service is provided by Omnitrans.  Contact Omnitrans at (800) 966-6428 for routes, stops, and services available.

Metrolink commuter (rail service) is available with a station at the Montclair Transcenter located on Richton Street between Central and Monte Vista Avenues.  Contact Metrolink at (800) 371-5465.

Foothill Transit also provides bus service out of the Montclair Transcenter into Los Angeles County.

Taxi cab service is provided by Bell Cab by calling (909) 391-1434 and Yellow Cab by calling (909) 622-1313.

Bus service is provided by Omnitrans.  Contact Omnitrans at (800) 966-6428 for routes, stops, and services available.

Metrolink commuter (rail service) is available with a station at the Montclair Transcenter located on Richton Street between Central and Monte Vista Avenues.  Contact Metrolink at (800) 371-5465.

Foothill Transit also provides bus service out of the Montclair Transcenter into Los Angeles County.

Taxi cab service is provided by Bell Cab by calling (909) 391-1434 and Yellow Cab by calling (909) 622-1313.

You can pay your trash and sewer bill at City Hall Monday through Thursday between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  City Hall is located at 5111 Benito Street. 

Or you can make your Trash & Sewer payments online with your credit card. To pay your bill online, click the following link: https://montclair.dpnetbill.com

Any payments made after 5:00 p.m. will be applied on the following business day.

For your water bill contact Monte Vista Water at (909) 624-0035.

Or visit: www.mvwd.org/

For your electric bill contact Southern California Edison at (800) 409-2365. This 24-hour service is available every day of the week.

Or visit: www.sce.com

For your gas bill contact Southern California Gas Company at:

Call (800) 427-2200 for Residential Customers

Call (800) 427-2000 for Commercial & Industrial Customers

Call (800) 772-5050 for Interactive Voice Response Self Service Option

Call (800) 342-4545 for information in Spanish

Customer Service Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for routine and emergency service requests. For Web site questions and for inquiries regarding rebates and other programs, they are available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Or visit: http://socalgas.com

For your cable bill contact Time Warner Cable at (888) 892-2253.

Or visit: www.timewarnercable.com

For your telephone bill contact your telephone provider with the number listed on your monthly bill.

Contact the County of San Bernardino Tax Assessor by calling (909) 387-6700.  Or you may inquire about your property tax online at:

 http://www.mytaxcollector.com/trSearch.aspx

For any suspected gas emergency, or questions regarding a gas odor or carbon monoxide, please call Southern California Gas Company immediately at (800) 427-2200.

http://www.socalgas.com

For your water bill contact Monte Vista Water at (909) 624-0035.

Or visit: www.mvwd.org/

For your electric bill contact Southern California Edison at (800) 409-2365. This 24-hour service is available every day of the week.

Or visit: www.sce.com

For your gas bill contact Southern California Gas Company at:
Call (800) 427-2200 for Residential Customers

Call (800) 427-2000 for Commercial & Industrial Customers

Call (800) 772-5050 for Interactive Voice Response Self Service Option

Call (800) 342-4545 for information in Spanish

Customer Service Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for routine and emergency service requests. For Web site questions and for inquiries regarding rebates and other programs, they are available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Or visit: www.socalgas.com

Contact Southern California Gas Company at:

Call (800) 427-2200 for Residential Customers

Call (800) 427-2000 for Commercial & Industrial Customers

Call (800) 772-5050 for Interactive Voice Response Self Service Option

Call (800) 342-4545 for information in Spanish

Customer Service Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for routine and emergency service requests. For Web site questions and for inquiries regarding rebates and other programs, they are available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

http://www.socalgas.com

Contact Southern California Edison at (800) 409-2365.

This 24-hour service is available every day of the week.

You can purchase a hunting license at many of your local sporting good stores, i.e. Sportsmart, Big 5, Turners.  In addition, you can contact the California Department of Fish and Game.  (See attached link)

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Hunting

If this is an emergency dial 9-1-1.  For non-emergency situations or questions you can contact West Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District at (909) 627-0931.

http://www.wvmosquito.org

Contact the West Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District at (909) 627-0931.

http://www.wvmosquito.org/

Montclair Municipal Code 5.08.030 states:

Dogs at large.

1. It is unlawful for any person owning or having the charge, care, custody or control of any dog to cause, permit or allow such dog to be or to run at large upon any highway, street, lane, alley, court, or other public place in the City or upon any private property or premises other than those of the person owning or having the charge, care, custody or control of such dog unless such dog shall be restrained by a substantial chain or leash not exceeding 6 feet in length and is in the charge, care, custody and control of a competent person. 
   
   
2. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit permitting or allowing dogs to run at large on the premises of the owner or person having the charge, care, custody or control of such dogs, or prohibit permitting or allowing dogs, other than unspayed female dogs during the copulating season, to run at large on any ranch or undeveloped property where, within a radius of 500 feet therefrom, there shall be situated not more than five residential or commercial establishments other than the residence of the person owning or having the charge, care, custody or control of such dogs. (Ord. 99-791 Exh. A (part); prior code § 6-1.04)

Contact the Inland Valley Humane Society at: 

500 Humane Way, Pomona, California, 91766
Phone: (909) 623-9777
Fax: (909) 623-0432
E-mail: ivhs1@yahoo.com

24-Hour Emergency Line: (909) 594-9858

Business Office Hours

Monday and Tuesday:
8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday:
8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday:
8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Kennel Hours

Monday and Tuesday:
10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday:
10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday:
10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

https://www.ivhsspca.org/ways-to-give/volunteer/

Yes, information on the number of domestic pets allowed on residential properties is contained in Section 11.18.030.C of the Montclair Municipal Code. You may view the code section by clicking on the following link and navigating to Title 11 of the Municipal Code: 11.18.030 MMC

Further, there are additional regulations governing the keeping of large animals on the equestrian residential lots located generally south of Mission Boulevard. For information on these regulations, contact the Planning Division at (909) 625-9477.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. Domestic animals account for less than 10% of the reported rabies cases, with cats, cattle, and dogs most often reported rabid.

Rabies virus infects the central nervous system, causing encephalopathy and ultimately death. Early symptoms of rabies in humans are nonspecific, consisting of fever, headache, and general malaise. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation, difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.

Public health importance of rabies

Over the last 100 years, rabies in the United States has changed dramatically. More than 90% of all animal cases reported annually to CDC now occur in wildlife;  before 1960 the majority were in domestic animals. The principal rabies hosts today are wild carnivores and bats. The number of rabies-related human deaths in the United States has declined from more than 100 annually at the turn of the century to one or two per year in the 1990's.  Modern day prophylaxis has proven nearly 100% successful. In the United States, human fatalities associated with rabies occur in people who fail to seek medical assistance, usually because they were unaware of their exposure.

Cost of rabies prevention

Although human rabies deaths are rare, the estimated public health costs associated with disease detection, prevention, and control have risen, exceeding $300 million annually. These costs include the vaccination of companion animals, animal control programs, maintenance of rabies laboratories, and medical costs, such as those incurred for rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP).

Accurate estimates of these expenditures are not available. Although the number of PEPs given in the United States each year is unknown, it is estimated to be about 40,000. When rabies becomes epizootic or enzootic in a region, the number of PEPs in that area increases. Although the cost varies, a course of rabies immune globulin and five doses of vaccine given over a 4-week period typically exceeds $1,000. The cost per human life saved from rabies ranges from approximately $10,000 to $100 million, depending on the nature of the exposure and the probability of rabies in a region.

The cost of rabies worldwide

Customarily, the level of international resources committed to the control of an infectious disease is a response to the associated human morbidity and mortality. For most infectious diseases, these data adequately reflect the deserved public health attention. It is difficult, however, to estimate the global impact of rabies by using only human mortality data. Because vaccines to prevent human rabies have been available for more than 100 years, most deaths from rabies occur in countries with inadequate public health resources and limited access to preventive treatment. These countries also have few diagnostic facilities and almost no rabies surveillance.

Underreporting is a characteristic of almost every infectious disease in developing countries, and increasing the estimated human mortality does not in itself increase the relative public health importance of rabies. There is, however, one often neglected aspect of rabies that does affect perception of its importance. Rabies is not, in the natural sense, a disease of humans. Human infection is incidental to the reservoir of disease in wild and domestic animals; therefore, a more accurate projection of the impact of rabies on public health should include an estimate of the extent to which the animal population is affected and the expense involved in preventing transmission of rabies from animals to humans.

An additional figure is needed to complete the global picture of rabies. The best estimates of the impact of rabies on a country and the public health resources available within that country for rabies control are found in data for the number and distribution of cases of rabies in domestic animals. Despite evidence that control of dog rabies through programs of animal vaccination and elimination of stray dogs can reduce the incidence of human rabies, exposure to rabid dogs is still the cause of over 90% of human exposures to rabies and of over 99% of human deaths worldwide. The cost of these programs prohibits their full implementation in much of the developing world, and in even the most prosperous countries the cost of an effective dog rabies control program is a drain on public health resources. The estimated annual expenditure for rabies prevention in the United States is over US $300 million, most of which is spent on dog vaccinations. An annual turnover of approximately 25% in the dog population necessitates revaccination of millions of animals each year, and reintroduction of rabies through transport of infected animals from outside a controlled area is always a possibility should control programs lapse. Reservoirs of wildlife rabies, virtually unknown in Asia and tropical regions, are also potential sources of rabies infection for dogs in Europe and North America.

For more detailed information on the economic effects of rabies, see:

     Fishbein, D.B., Miranda, N.J., Merrill, P., Camba, R.A., Meltzer, M., Carlos, E.T., Bautista, C. F., Sopungco, P.V., Mangahas, L.C., Hernandez, L.M., Leoncio, M.M., Mercado, D., Gregorio, S., Salva, E., Dobbins, J.G., & Winkler, W.G. (1991). Rabies control in the Republic of the Philippines: benefits and costs of elimination. Vaccine,9, 581-588.

     Uhaa, I.J., Dato, V.M., Sorhage, F.E., Beckley, J.W., Roscoe, D.E., Gorsky, R.D., & Fishbein, D.B. (1992). Benefits and costs of using an orally absorbed vaccine to control rabies in raccoons. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 201(12), 1873-1882.

     Meltzer, M.I. & Rupprecht, C.E. (1998). A review of the economics of the prevention and control of rabies -- Part 1: global impact and rabies in humans. Pharmacoeconomics, 14(4), 365-383.

     Meltzer, M.I. & Rupprecht, C.E. (1998). A review of the economics of the prevention and control of rabies -- Part 2: rabies in dogs, livestock and wildlife. Pharmacoeconomics, 14(5), 481-498.

     Meltzer, M.I. (1996). Assessing the costs and benefits of an oral vaccine for raccoon rabies: a possible model. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2, 343-349.

Information courtesy of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

For more information, see the following link:

www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/Ques&Ans/q&a.htm