Strategies for controlling dog-mediated human rabies in Asia: using 'One Health' principles to assess control programmes for rabies.

Abstract

Over 99% of human rabies cases in endemic areas are transmitted by dogs. Without the elimination of dog rabies, it is not easy to reduce human rabies infection. Controlling dog rabies, especially in ownerless or free-roaming dogs, is critical if we are to decrease the rate of human rabies infection. There are several components in a strategy to eliminate dog-mediated rabies in Asia. Each government must make sure that rabies is either a reportable disease or a notifiable disease and enforce the reporting requirements accordingly. They must also focus on organising and operating special rabies control committees that work with relevant agencies under the 'One Health' banner. They should also implement a national rabies control programme that includes mass dog vaccination, laboratory-based surveillance, stable budget allocation, a rapidreporting system, management of dog populations, international cooperation, prevention of animal introductions from other countries, and risk assessment to analyse the programme's weaknesses. As several developed countries have shown, an effective rabies control strategy leads to rabies-free status. In the Republic of Korea, human rabies has not occurred since 2004, and there have not been any confirmed cases of dog rabies or cases of rabies in wild animals, including raccoon dogs, since 2014. The successful implementation of the key strategies used to eliminate rabies in the Republic of Korea will enable other Asian countries to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies.