Modern aspects of rabies in Cameroon

Abstract

The article presents the results of an epidemiological study of the incidence of rabies in the population of the Republic of Cameroon in the period from 2014 to 2022. The system of epidemiological surveillance and monitoring of rabies in Cameroon is presented. According to WHO, human and animal rabies is recognized as endemic to Central Africa as a whole, and in Cameroon, in particular, this infectious goiter is classified as the first priority zoonosis within the framework of the National Program for the Prevention and Control of Recurrent and Re-emerging Zoonosis (PNPLZER). The average annual incidence of rabies recorded between 2014 and 2022 was 405.7% (95% CI: 401.9% – 409.5%). Based on the results of a retrospective epidemiological analysis, the dynamics of rabies cases among people in Cameroon is presented in accordance with data recorded at the Operational Center for Public Health Emergencies (CCOUSP). The highest rates were recorded in the period from 2018 (547.4%) to 2019 (276.8%), and the lowest in 2021 (10.7%) to 2022 (3.1%). To identify socio-demographic risk factors, a survey of rabies foci was conducted using specially designed questionnaires (epidemiological information collection cards). Mapping of registered cases of rabies in humans was carried out for 10 administrative regions of the country using the LTR QGIS (quantum GIS) program, which allowed us to show the distribution of cases across the country and dynamics over time. It has been established that the distribution of cases of the disease across the territory does not always depend on the population density in administrative districts, but is associated with specific socio-demographic risk factors such as profession, gender, age, type of animal reservoir of the virus, which affect the activity of the pathogen circulation among natural hosts.