Comparison of animal rabies from Northern Provinces of Iran referred to the Amol Research Center (ARC) during 2007

Abstract

Rabies has been endemic in Northern provinces of Iran for long time and it was a cause of some outbreaks of disease especially in Golestan province. This study has been carried out to compare rabies cases in northern part Provinces of Iran including Mazandaran, Golestan, Gilan and Ardabil during 2007. In this study, data analysis indicated percentage of positive cases in suspected rabies samples in Mazandaran were among dog (%37.5), cow, sheep/goat (%100) and human (%64.3); in Golestan were among dog, cow, wolf, sheep/ goat, horse/ donkey (%100); in Gilan were among cow (%95) and in Ardabil they were observed in dog (%50), cow (%95.8), wolf and sheep/goat (%100). In this study, data analysis indicated percentage of rabies positive cases in four provinces of Iran were %100 in Golestan, %90.5 in Gilan, %85.3 in Ardabil and %64.3 in Mazandaran. The results of this study also emphasized the important role of wildlife in disseminating of human rabies in Northern provinces. These results confirmed a high prevalence rate of animal form of rabies in northern district of Iran, and it underlined the importance of animal bites and rabies, which is required an extra precaution strategy.