1456                                                  LAWS OF MARYLAND                             [Ch. 356

Supplement) to read as follows:

Article 43 - Health
615.

(A)     IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE
MEANINGS INDICATED.

(B)     "COUNTY" INCLUDES THE CITY OF BALTIMORE.

(C)     "DEPARTMENT" MEANS THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
AND MENTAL HYGIENE.

(D)    "PUBLIC HEALTH        VETERINARIAN" MEANS THE
VETERINARIAN DESIGNATED BY    THE SECRETARY AS RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE VETERINARY PUBLIC      HEALTH PROGRAM OF THE
DEPARTMENT.

(E)     "RABIES" MEANS, IN MAN           AND ANIMAL,
HYDROPHOBIA, AN ACUTE VIRAL DISEASE      OF THE CENTRAL
NERVOUS SYSTEM, USUALLY TRANSMITTED TO      MAN THROUGH THE
INJECTION OF SALIVA BY AN ANIMAL BITE.

(F)    "SECRETARY" MEANS THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND
MENTAL HYGIENE.

615A.

(A)    THE SECRETARY SHALL PROVIDE FOR A STATEWIDE
SYSTEM FOR THE GENERAL CONTROL OF RABIES, THE TREATMENT
OF PERSONS EXPOSED OR SUSPECTED TO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO
RABIES, AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS
NECESSARY FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF RABIES. ANY

DISTRIBUTION OF__BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS SHALL____BE____IN

ACCORDANCE___WITH THE CONDITIONS IMPOSED BY THE SECRETARY

OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE REGULATION OF BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS.

(B)    THE SECRETARY MAY ADOPT SUCH RULES AND
REGULATIONS AS ARE NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE TO CARRY OUT
THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBTITLE.

615B.

THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE PRE-EXPOSURE
IMMUNIZATION, WITHOUT CHARGE, TO ANY PERSON DETERMINED BY
THE PUBLIC HEALTH VETERINARIAN TO HAVE A HIGH RISK OF
EXPOSURE TO RABIES INFECTION. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ALSO
BEAR THE COST OF THE RABIES TREATMENT GENERALLY KNOWN AS
THE "PASTEUR TREATMENT" FOR ANY BITE VICTIM WHO REQUIRES
THIS TREATMENT BUT IS UNABLE TO PAY THE USUAL CHARGES
THEREFOR.

615C.