Abstract
BackgroundEthiopia accommodates the second largest number of human rabies deaths in Africa. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize and pool estimates of dog-mediated rabies status in Ethiopia.MethodsPublished researches between 2010 and 2020 were comprehensively searched and the required information was extracted. The prevalence was estimated using the random-effects meta-analysis because higher heterogeneity between studies was expected.ResultsThe pooled estimate of rabies was 32% (95% CI: 19–46%), with individual study prevalence estimates ranged from 1 to 78%. Studies were approximately weighted equally with individual weight ranging from 5.19–5.28%. Subgroup analysis indicated that the random pooled prevalence of rabies was 28% (95% CI: 0–81%) in animals and 33% (95% CI: 20–47%) in humans. Furthermore, a subgroup analysis across regions indicated that the pooled prevalence was 78% in Addis Ababa, 46% in Oromia, 40% in Tigray and 5% in Amhara regional states. No single study was reported from the country’s eastern and southern parts to be included in this meta-analysis.ConclusionThe estimated pooled rabies prevalence was found high and showed varying among study regions. Therefore, focusing on mass dog vaccination campaigns and public awareness should be implemented to control the disease.
Highlights
Rabies is a life-threatening, zoonotic viral disease that can cause fatal encephalomyelitis [12]
The disease was reported in five regions, including the Addis Ababa city administration
The virus was highly prevalent in Addis Ababa, Oromia and Tigray regional states
Summary
Rabies is a life-threatening, zoonotic viral disease that can cause fatal encephalomyelitis [12]. According to the WHO [19] canine rabies causes an estimated 61,000 deaths per year within the wider international community, of which 56 and 44% of the deaths occurred in Asia and Africa, respectively [6]. This disease is mainly transmitted by dog-bite and causes significant morbidity and mortality among humans and animals with high incidence in rural areas each year [19]. The country accommodates the second largest number of rabies deaths of all African countries [4]. Ethiopia accommodates the second largest number of human rabies deaths in Africa.
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