Abstract
Approximately 1500 people die annually due to rabies in the United Republic of Tanzania. Moshi, in the Kilimanjaro Region, reported sporadic cases of human rabies between 2017 and 2018. In response and following a One Health approach, we implemented surveillance, monitoring, as well as a mass vaccinations of domestic pets concurrently in >150 villages, achieving a 74.5% vaccination coverage (n = 29, 885 dogs and cats) by September 2018. As of April 2019, no single human or animal case has been recorded. We have observed a disparity between awareness and knowledge levels of community members on rabies epidemiology. Self-adherence to protective rabies vaccination in animals was poor due to the challenges of costs and distances to vaccination centers, among others. Incidence of dog bites was high and only a fraction (65%) of dog bite victims (humans) received post-exposure prophylaxis. A high proportion of unvaccinated dogs and cats and the relative intense interactions with wild dog species at interfaces were the risk factors for seropositivity to rabies virus infection in dogs. A percentage of the previously vaccinated dogs remained unimmunized and some unvaccinated dogs were seropositive. Evidence of community engagement and multi-coordinated implementation of One Health in Moshi serves as an example of best practice in tackling zoonotic diseases using multi-level government efforts. The district-level establishment of the One Health rapid response team (OHRRT), implementation of a carefully structured routine vaccination campaign, improved health education, and the implementation of barriers between domestic animals and wildlife at the interfaces are necessary to reduce the burden of rabies in Moshi and communities with similar profiles.
Highlights
IntroductionDomestic dogs are important maintenance hosts other carnivores may be involved [1]
Rabies is caused by a neurotropic virus of genus Lyssavirus, family Rhabdoviridae
The study was part of an emergency response to rabies outbreaks in Moshi Rural District (MRD) supported by the FAO Component of the USAID
Summary
Domestic dogs are important maintenance hosts other carnivores may be involved [1]. Most cases of human rabies are associated with suspected rabid dog bites, through an infectious virus in their saliva and records of animal bite injury are accurate predictors of rabies exposure [2]. Endemic rabies in Tanzania claims 1499 human deaths annually [4,5,6,7], and the Kilimanjaro Region (KR) had reported frequent outbreaks. Six dogs were involved but only one was owned. Mt. Kilimanjaro has a rich eco-biogeographical diversity and is inhabited by at least 154 mammal species, some of which may act as niches for rabies virus [8]
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: International journal of environmental research and public health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.