On Jun. 6, 2023, the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine (MU) announced it had launched a rabies antibody testing service within their Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL). The service will provide certified test results for companion animals traveling with their owners to Hawaii and other international locations. Rabies is a fatal viral infection that attacks the body’s central nervous system, and pets in the United States can get infected from getting bitten by wildlife, such as raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats.

The antibody testing service at MU — one of only four of its kind in the United States —  is currently intended for companion animals, including dogs, cats and ferrets, who will be traveling with their owners to Hawaii, Guam, New Zealand, Australia and St. Kitts & Nevis — places that require pet owners to show proof of rabies immunity protection for their pet before entry.

For people traveling with their pets from areas where rabies is present, such as the U.S. mainland, to large islands or countries where rabies is not present, historically pets were separated from their owners and required to quarantine in isolation upon arrival for four to six months, given how long the rabies incubation period is.

Celebrities that often traveled with their pets, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, were concerned and advocated against these policies, and over time, the United Kingdom, Hawaii, and countries around the world developed new, less restrictive ‘pet passport’ protocols due to advancements in antibody testing and considerations for pets to be able to quarantine in their owner’s home before travel abroad.

MU’s VMDL performs more than 160,000 diagnostic tests annually to support Missouri’s companion and agricultural animals, wildlife, and zoo animal conservation efforts. As a Level 1 Laboratory of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, and Missouri’s only full-service laboratory accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, the VMDL plays a major role in the early detection, testing and post-outbreaks of foreign and emerging animal diseases.

The service is used by veterinarians throughout Missouri and across the country, including tests for chronic wasting disease in deer, African Swine Fever in pigs and highly pathogenic avian influenza in chickens. In September 2022, MU hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the $30 million renovation and expansion of the VMDL.

For pet owners interested in traveling to Hawaii, Guam, New Zealand, Australia or St. Kitts & Nevis in the near future, MU vets recommend scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian, who can take a blood sample from the pet and then submit the blood sample to the MU VMDL for analysis. They estimate the turnaround time for analyzing the blood samples once they are received from a veterinarian to be approximately one week.