Animal Rabies Control Research Articles

Spatial clusters, temporal behavior, and risk factors analysis of rabies in livestock in Ecuador

Rabies, a globally distributed and highly lethal zoonotic neglected tropical disease, has a significant impact in South America. In Ecuador, animal rabies cases are primarily linked to livestock, and hematophagous bats play a crucial role in disease transmission. This study aims to identify temporal trends, spatial patterns, and risk factors for animal rabies in Ecuador between 2014 and 2019. Epidemiological survey reports from the official Animal Rabies Surveillance Program of the Phyto and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency of Ecuador (AGROCALIDAD) were used. The Animal Rabies Surveillance Program from AGROCALIDAD consists of an official passive surveillance program that receives reports from farmers or individuals (both trained or untrained) who have observed animals with neurological clinical signs and lesions compatible with bat bites, or who have seen or captured bats on their farms or houses. Once this report is made, AGROCALIDAD personnel is sent for field inspection, having to confirm the suspicion of rabies based on farm conditions and compatibility of signs. AGROCALIDAD personnel collect samples from all suspicious animals, which are further processed and analyzed using the Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA) test for rabies confirmatory diagnosis. In this case, study data comprised 846 bovine farms (with intra-farm sample sizes ranging from 1 to 16 samples) located in different ecoregions of Ecuador; out of these, 397 (46.93%) farms tested positive for animal rabies, revealing six statistically significant spatial clusters. Among these clusters, three high-risk areas were identified in the southeast of Ecuador. Seasonality was confirmed by the Ljung-Box test for both the number of cases (p < 0.001) and the positivity rate (p < 0.001). The Pacific Coastal lowlands and Sierra regions showed a lower risk of positivity compared to Amazonia (OR = 0.529; 95% CI = 0.318 – 0.883; p = 0.015 and OR = 0.633; 95% CI = 0.410 – 0.977; p = 0.039, respectively). The breeding of non-bovine animal species demonstrated a lower risk of positivity to animal rabies when compared to bovine (OR = 0.145; 95% CI = 0.062 – 0.339; p < 0.001). Similarly, older animals exhibited a lower risk (OR = 0.974; 95% CI = 0.967 – 0.981; p < 0.001). Rainfall during the rainy season was also found to decrease the risk of positivity to animal rabies (OR = 0.996; 95% CI = 0.995 – 0.998; p < 0.001). This study underscores the significance of strengthening the national surveillance program for the prevention and control of animal rabies in Ecuador and other countries facing similar epidemiological, social, and geographical circumstances.

English

BACKGROUND Monkeys are responsible for 2-21% of all animal bite injuries. Monkey bites are second only to the dog bites as represented in India. Control of animal rabies is central to the prevention of human disease. Thus, prophylaxis (for domestic animals and selected humans) and PET remain essential to the prevention of clinical rabies. METHODS Patients presenting to the outpatient and emergency department with the complaint of monkey bite were enrolled in the study. All particulars of patients, history and examination findings were recorded in the clinical proforma after taking proper informed consent. Wounds were categorized based on WHO guide to postexposure prophylaxis. Local treatment consisted of two parts: first aid and wound management. ARV was administered in category II and III exposures in accordance to the intradermal schedule. Data was analysed for clinical information such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, timing &amp; site of bite, categories of contact and treatment given. RESULTS In our study of 68 patients, 24 (35.3%) were males and 44 (64.7%) were females. Majority of the patients belonged to the age group of 11-40 years in both male (n=20; 83.33%) and female (n=34; 77.27%) patients. Mean age group of patients in the study was 28.29 years. This generally reflects the greater exposure of young adults to the monkeys. Based on modified Kuppuswamy scale, most patients belonged to the class III (n=36; 52.9%) followed by class IV (n=16; 23.5%). All the patients sustaining bites from monkeys were vaccinated. Majority of the bites involved the lower extremities (n=31; 45.6%) followed by upper extremities (n=27; 39.7%). Based on WHO guidelines for wound categories, most patients belonged to category II (n=49; 72.1%) followed by category III (n=19; 27.9%). CONCLUSIONS In our study, we found that majority of patients sustaining monkey bites were young adults and belonged to lower middle &amp; upper lower class. There was no difference with respect to gender. Most common sites of monkey bite were upper &amp; lower extremities and belonged to WHO category II. No cases of rabies were observed in our study. KEY WORDS Almora, Monkey, Simian, Animal, Bite, Rabies, Immunization, Prophylaxis, Treatment

Prevention and Control of Rabies in Animals and Humans in Ethiopia

Prevention and Control of Rabies in Animals and Humans in Ethiopia

Current characteristics of animal rabies cases in Thailand and relevant risk factors identified by a spatial modeling approach.

The situation of human rabies in Thailand has gradually declined over the past four decades. However, the number of animal rabies cases has slightly increased in the last ten years. This study thus aimed to describe the characteristics of animal rabies between 2017 and 2018 in Thailand in which the prevalence was fairly high and to quantify the association between monthly rabies occurrences and explainable variables using the generalized additive models (GAMs) to predict the spatial risk areas for rabies spread. Our results indicate that the majority of animals affected by rabies in Thailand are dogs. Most of the affected dogs were owned, free or semi-free roaming, and unvaccinated. Clusters of rabies were highly distributed in the northeast, followed by the central and the south of the country. Temporally, the number of cases gradually increased after June and reached a peak in January. Based on our spatial models, human and cattle population density as well as the spatio-temporal history of rabies occurrences, and the distances from the cases to the secondary roads and country borders are identified as the risk factors. Our predictive maps are applicable for strengthening the surveillance system in high-risk areas. Nevertheless, the identified risk factors should be rigorously considered and integrated into the strategic plans for the prevention and control of animal rabies in Thailand.

Public health implication towards rabies elimination in Sri Lanka: A systematic review

Background/ObjectivesSri Lanka has been targeted zero rabies by the end of 2025. Towards the elimination, the country needs more effective, evidence-based strategies and efforts to achieve its ultimate goal. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of scientific literatures and data to assess current human and animal rabies control and prevention strategies in Sri Lanka. MethodsWe compiled documents regarding current and previous rabies control and prevention activities implemented in the entire country of Sri Lanka. The documents included published literatures issued between 1946 and 2020 from both online databases and university library in Sri Lanka. All the collected documents were screened based on the PRISMA statement and categorized into several types of rabies control and prevention strategies. Official reports including epidemiological data in Sri Lanka were also filed in order to analyze the current trend of rabies control and prevention in the nation. ResultsAs of end December 2020, we found 119 scientific literatures regarding rabies control and prevention in Sri Lanka. Human rabies deaths in Sri Lanka have been reduced for the last half century by successful implementation of mass dog vaccination, animal birth control and awareness raising activities. However, the country is still facing on sporadic rabies cases, limited dog vaccination coverage and insufficient dog population management in the district level. Despite the nationwide standard of dog to human ratio of 1:8, there are huge disparities or unknown of dog ecology in regions. Awareness raising including has been enhancing for both general public and school children. Surveillance system is poorly operated so that simultaneous data analysis for decision-making is impractical. ConclusionsIn order to achieve nationwide rabies elimination, it is highly recommended to implement more effective rabies control and prevention activities and build adequate scientific evidences.

Construction and evaluation of recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum NC8 delivering one single or two copies of G protein fused with a DC-targeting peptide (DCpep) as novel oral rabies vaccine

Rabies remains an important public health threat in most developing countries. To develop a more effective and safe oral vaccine against rabies, we constructed recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum NC8 carrying one or two copies of the G gene with a dendritic cell-targeting peptide (DCpep) fused at the C-terminal designated NC8-pSIP409-sRVG or NC8-pSIP409-dRVG, respectively. The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of these recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum against RABV were evaluated by oral administration in a mouse model. The results showed that recombinant NC8-pSIP409-dRVG possessed more G protein, resulting in more functional maturation of DCs. After three cycle of oral immunization, NC8-pSIP409-dRVG induced significantly higher levels of specific IgG antibody and mixed Th1/Th2 with a strong Th1-biasd immune response in mice. Most importantly, although the titers of RABV neutralizing antibody (VNA) were below the threshold of 0.5 IU/mL, the NC8-pSIP409-dRVG could protect 60 % of inoculated mice against lethal RABV challenge. These data reveal that recombinant NC8-pSIP409-dRVG may be a novel and promising oral vaccine candidate to prevent and control of animal rabies.

Antibody Response Following Pre-Exposure Immunization Against Rabies in High-Risk Professionals.

Vaccination against rabies and routine antibody testing of subjects participating in programs for the surveillance and control of rabies in animals is strongly recommended. The scope of this study is to describe the antibody level as measured by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) after primary and booster intramuscular vaccination with a purified vero-cell rabies vaccine (PVRV) in high-risk professionals and to determine the influence of an array of factors on antibody level, that is, time elapsed since primary immunization series and booster dose, sex, age, pathologic conditions, high-risk occupation, and peak antibody level after initial scheme and booster dose. A primary series of three doses of PVRV was administered and a commercial ELISA was recommended 14 days postimmunization with continuous repetition at 6 months and yearly intervals for the laboratory personnel and the rest of the professionals, respectively. The protective antibody titer was defined as a minimum of 0.5 equivalent units/mL (EU/mL) (seroconvertion) and a booster dose was applied if the titer was determined nonprotective. The seroconversion rate (SCR) after primary vaccination was 100%, with a geometric mean titer (GMT) of 2.90 EU/mL (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.85-3.45). After booster vaccination due to nonprotective titer, the SCR was 100% and the GMT increased by 678% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 514-887) reaching 4.25 EU/mL (IQR: 4.00-4.60), 2.5 times higher than the GMT elicited by the primary vaccine scheme in the respective recipients. The titer dropped by 1.20% per month (95% CI: 0.52-1.89) regardless of booster administration or any other factor. Women had 51% higher titer compared with men (95% CI: 6-116). High-risk professionals should be verified for adequate antibody titers, but routine administration of a single booster dose of PVRV 1 year after the primary series could be considered; more evidence is needed to support the benefit in terms of immunity and logistics.

Evaluation of Animal Rabies Surveillance System, Ekiti State, Nigeria, 2012-2017

Evaluation of Animal Rabies Surveillance System, Ekiti State, Nigeria, 2012-2017

Efficacy of rabies vaccine with differing antigen payloads on pre and simulated post-exposure prophylaxis in cattle

Rabies is a fatal disease of humans and animals. Over the years various vaccines and vaccination procedures such as pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP) have been used to control the losses incurred due to rabies. Unlike in humans, no firm PrEP and PEP guidelines are available for control of rabies in animals. In this study, healthy cattle calves were vaccinated with either single (PrEP regime) or five doses (simulated PEP regime) of rabies vaccine with a potency of 1.2 IU/dose or 2.7 IU/dose. Vaccine was administered on Day 0, 3, 7, 14 and 28 as per ‘Essen’ regimen. The serum was collected from all the vaccinated cattle on 0, 7, 14, 28 and 60 days post inoculation (dpi) and virus neutralisation antibody (VNA) levels were determined by fluorescent antibody virus neutralisation test (FAVN). The results reveal that vaccination with single dose of 2.7 IU/dose of rabies vaccine induced higher VNA in serum compared with 1.2 IU/dose vaccine. Comparison of serum antibody levels between animals vaccinated with single dose of high antigen payload (2.7 IU/dose) and multiple vaccination with 1.2 IU/dose vaccine showed significantly higher antibody levels in the former at 14, 28 and 60 dpi intervals. From this study, it is concluded that the protective levels of immunity in cattle can be achieved with high antigen payload vaccines with either two or three doses, respectively, in PrEP and simulated PEP programs.

Rabies control in Europe: an overview of past, current and future strategies.

Europe's step-by-step approach to tackling canine and wildlife-mediated rabies has proven that the disease can be controlled and eliminated at the animal source. A decade of development work and support by the European Union has resulted in a successful oral rabies vaccination campaign for foxes and raccoon dogs, and provided the blueprint for eliminating wildlife-mediated rabies. In this paper, the authors examine the historical stages of animal rabies control and its eventual elimination in parts of Europe, particularly Western Europe. In addition, they consider current control measures and predict future challenges, many of which are faced by the vast and sparsely populated, rabies-endemic areas of Eastern Europe.

Cost Description and Comparative Cost Efficiency of Post-Exposure Prophylaxis and Canine Mass Vaccination against Rabies in N'Djamena, Chad.

Rabies claims approximately 59,000 human lives annually and is a potential risk to 3.3 billion people in over 100 countries worldwide. Despite being fatal in almost 100% of cases, human rabies can be prevented by vaccinating dogs, the most common vector, and the timely administration of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to exposed victims. For the control and prevention of human rabies in N’Djamena, the capital city of Chad, a free mass vaccination campaign for dogs was organized in 2012 and 2013. The campaigns were monitored by parallel studies on the incidence of canine rabies based on diagnostic testing of suspect animals and the incidence of human bite exposure recorded at selected health facilities. Based on the cost description of the campaign and the need for PEP registered in health centers, three cost scenarios were compared: cumulative cost-efficiency of (1) PEP alone, (2) dog mass vaccination and PEP, (3) dog mass vaccination, PEP, and maximal communication between human health and veterinary workers (One Health communication). Assuming ideal One Health communication, the cumulative prospective cost of dog vaccination and PEP break even with the cumulative prospective cost of PEP alone in the 10th year from the start of the calculation (2012). The cost efficiency expressed in cost per human exposure averted is much higher with canine vaccination and One Health communication than with PEP alone. As shown in other studies, our cost-effectiveness analysis highlights that canine vaccination is financially the best option for animal rabies control and rabies prevention in humans. This study also provides evidence of the beneficial effect of One Health communication. Only with close communication between the human and animal health sectors will the decrease in animal rabies incidence be translated into a decline for PEP. An efficiently applied One Health concept would largely reduce the cost of PEP in resource poor countries and should be implemented for zoonosis control in general.

Erratum: Vol. 66, No. 4.

In the cover box "National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - February 7, 2017," on page 97, the second sentence of the second paragraph should have read, "Among blacks living with diagnosed HIV infection in 2013, 54% were retained in care (two or more CD4 or viral load tests ≥3 months apart) and 49% had a suppressed viral load (<200 copies/mL at most recent test) (2)."

Chimeric rabies virus-like particles containing membrane-anchored GM-CSF enhances the immune response against rabies virus.

Rabies remains an important public health threat in most developing countries. To develop a more effective and safe vaccine against rabies, we have constructed a chimeric rabies virus-like particle (VLP), which containing glycoprotein (G) and matrix protein (M) of rabies virus (RABV) Evelyn-Rokitnicki-Abelseth (ERA) strain, and membrane-anchored granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and it was named of EVLP-G. The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of EVLP-G against RABV were evaluated by intramuscular administration in a mouse model. The EVLP-G was successfully produced in insect cells by coinfection with three recombinant baculoviruses expressing G, M, and GM-CSF, respectively. The membrane-anchored GM-CSF possesses a strong adjuvant activity. More B cells and dendritic cells (DCs) were recruited and/or activated in inguinal lymph nodes in mice immunized with EVLP-G. EVLP-G was found to induce a significantly increased RABV-specific virus-neutralizing antibody and elicit a larger and broader antibody subclass responses compared with the standard rabies VLP (sRVLP, consisting of G and M). The EVLP-G also elicited significantly more IFN-γ- or IL-4-secreting CD4+ and CD8+ T cells than the sRVLP. Moreover, the immune responses induced by EVLP-G protect all vaccinated mice from lethal challenge with RABV. These results suggest that EVLP-G has the potential to be developed as a novel vaccine candidate for the prevention and control of animal rabies.

Outbreaks and Control of Animal Rabies in Korea

Outbreaks and Control of Animal Rabies in Korea

Ecoepidemiological and social factors related to rabies incidence in Venezuela during 2002-2004

Rabies in Venezuela has been important in last years, affecting dogs, cats, and human, among other animals, being a reportable disease. In Zulia state, it is considered a major public health concern. Recently, a considerable increase in the incidence of rabies has been occurring, involving many epidemiological but also ecoepidemiological and social factors. These factors are analyzed in this report. During 2002-2004, 416 rabies cases were recorded. Incidence has been increasingly significantly, affecting mainly dogs (88.94%). Given this epidemiology we associated ecoepidemiological and social factors with rabies incidence in the most affected state, Zulia. In this period 411 rabies cases were recorded. Zulia has varied environmental conditions. It is composed mostly of lowlands bordered in the west by mountain system and in the south by the Andes. The mean is temperature 27.8C, and mean yearly rainfall is 750mm. Climatologically, 2002 corresponded with El Nino (drought), middle 2003 evolved to a Neutral period, and 2004 corresponded to La Nina (rainy); this change may have affected many diseases, including rabies. Ecological analysis showed that most cases occurred in lowland area of the state and during rainy season (p&lt;0.05). Additionally, there is an important social problem due to educational deficiencies in the native population. Many ethnic groups live un Zulia, many myths about rabies are in circulation, and the importance of the disease is not widely realized. The full scale of the rabies burden is unknown, owing to inadequate disease surveillance. Although there have been important advances in our knowledge and ability to diagnose and prevent it, enormous challenges remain in animal rabies control and provision of accessible-appropriate human prophylaxis worldwide. Human and animal surveillance including ecological and social factors is needed.

Epidemiologic investigation into characteristics of canine and feline population in a district close to a rural area in Cuiabá-MT, with a view to control of animal rabies

Questionnaires answered by 476 students (age 15-20 yrs) attending a local school in the neighborhood of Pedra 90 in Cuiabá -MT were analyzed in order to study the characteristics of feline and canine populations in the region. The results showed that 371 (78%) of the 476 families kept 513 dogs and 307 cats. Of 573 dogs, 289 (56.3%) were male and 224 (43.7%) were female. Of 307 cats, 182 (59.28%) were male and 125 (40.72%) were female. The owners of 474 (92.4%) dogs and 267 (86.9%) cats reported that their pets had been vaccinated against rabies.

Human rabies in Lebanon: lessons for control.

Human rabies is known to be endemic in countries bordering Lebanon, but its prevalence in Lebanon has not been studied before. All eight cases of human rabies reported to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health between 1991 and 1999 were reviewed, as well as three other cases admitted to the American University of Beirut Medical Center. A total of 1102 cases of animal bites to humans, the majority of which were dog bites, were reported to the Ministry of Public Health between 1991 and 1996. In this period, 2487 doses of rabies vaccine were administered to the above group, as post-exposure prophylaxis. Veterinarians, a high risk and educated group, were interviewed, and only 7 out of 72 were found to have been vaccinated. Major improvements in surveillance and reporting, better control of animal rabies, more awareness especially among high risk groups, and regional cooperation, are all needed to prevent and control this deadly infection.

FIRST RESULTS OF THE FEASIBILITY OF PRE-EXPOSURE RABIES VACCINATION ASSOCIATED WITH DTP-IPV DURING EPI SESSIONS IN INFANTS LIVING IN AN ENDEMIC COUNTRY. • 1046

Children's shorter stature, fearlessness of animals and inability to protect themselves place them at high risk of rabies, particularly in endemic countries with poor control of animal rabies. Therefore in 1995, we undertook a clinical trial in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of rabies vaccine given pre-exposure, in association with combined DTPer (whole-cell)-IPV.

Early methods for the surveillance and control of rabies in animals.

From the many existing documents on the history of rabies in animals, it is possible to describe with precision the practical measures adopted for the surveillance and control of rabies in animals from antiquity until the 18th century. Surveillance is based on clinical diagnosis, post-mortem examination, animal inoculation and knowledge of the conditions under which infection occurred: aetiology, pathogenesis, susceptible species, virulent material, mode of infection, incubation period, etc. The historical data are assembled and compared, with comments on each of these points. Control is based on the application of general disease control measures and attempts at vaccination and treatment. A study of these procedures enables a comparison of their efficacy and a description of the major steps which led to (or delayed) the work of Louis Pasteur.