Notes from the Field: Assessment of Health Facilities for Control of Canine Rabies - Gondar City, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 2015.

Abstract

Rabies is an encephalitic disease that is nearly always fatal after onset of illness. Worldwide, rabies kills an estimated 59,000 humans each year (95% confidence interval [CI]=25,000-159,000); the majority of the deaths are caused by the rabies virus variant that circulates in dogs (1,2). Canine rabies is endemic in Ethiopia, with an estimated 2,771 human deaths annually (CI=1,116-12,660) (1-3). Annual rabies-associated livestock losses are estimated at >$50 million (USD), making rabies important to both human and animal health (1).