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Simple Summary: Our study found that 81.50% of respondents were aware that rabies is a zoonotic disease, and 42.10% had satisfactory knowledge of rabies. Knowledge levels were associated with gender, education, and income. Interestingly, some individuals relied on traditional medicine and healers for the immediate first aid and treatment of animal bites. Additionally, a few pet owners had not vaccinated their pets. These findings underscore the need for targeted educational interventions to improve rabies awareness and the potential of effective awareness campaigns to save lives. In many developing countries, where rabies is prevalent among dog populations, humans are at risk of contracting the disease. Recent reports from Nepal suggest that around 30,000 cases of pet and more than 100 human rabies cases occur each year, with the highest risk being in the Terai, although these numbers may be underestimated. Knowledge and practices related to rabies prevention are crucial in combating the disease. However, there is not enough data on the understanding and preventive measures of rabies among the local population in Nepal. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practices regarding rabies prevention among the people of Bharatpur-12, Chitwan, Nepal. The study, conducted in February 2022, involved a cross-sectional survey of 271 respondents selected through systematic random sampling. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for one-on-one interviews. Among the surveyed respondents, a significant proportion (81.50%; n = 221/271) correctly understood rabies is zoonotic disease. Furthermore, 73.10% (n = 198/271) could correctly identify the animals susceptible to rabies, while 39.9% (n = 108/271) knew the causative agent. Additionally, 46.5% accurately listed the modes of transmission, and a majority (86.70%; n = 235/271) recognized the signs and symptoms of rabies in animals and humans. Overall, 42.06% (n = 114/271) of the respondents demonstrated satisfactory knowledge. Out of the 271 respondents, 22.9% (n = 62) owned pets, and 39.11% (n = 106) reported incidents of animal bites within their families, with dog bites being the most commonly mentioned (92.46%; n = 98/106). The majority (81.14%; n = 86/106) sought treatment on the same day as the incident occurred. About half of them (50%; n = 53/106) cleaned the wound with soap and water, while a small percentage (5.66%; n = 6/106) relied on traditional medicine as immediate first aid after an animal bite. The level of knowledge was found to be associated with gender (p = 0.04), educational status (p = 0.05), and family monthly income (p = 0.007). These findings highlight the importance of educating the community in Nepal about rabies control and prevention measures and underscore the need for targeted educational interventions to improve rabies awareness and the potential of effective awareness campaigns to save lives. Raising awareness about health-seeking behavior and community members' role in controlling, preventing, and eliminating rabies is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human rabies cases today are predominantly associated with infection from rabid domestic dogs. Unlike dogs, a common global reservoir species that perpetuates rabies viruses (RABV) within their populations, domestic cats are much less frequently reported or vaccinated. Epidemiologically, cats are important vectors of lyssaviruses but are not viral reservoirs. Typically, cats are incidental hosts only, infected with the predominant lyssavirus in their geographic locale. Human cases associated with rabid cats have occurred in Africa, Asia, Europe and throughout the Americas. As adept, solitary hunters, wild and domestic felids are at risk of lyssavirus infection based upon interactions with infected prey, such as bats, or from transmission by other mesocarnivores, such as rabid dogs, foxes, jackals, raccoons, and skunks. Current veterinary vaccines provide safe and effective immunity in cats against phylogroup I lyssaviruses, such as RABV, but not against divergent lyssaviruses in phylogroups II-IV. With the focus upon the global elimination of canine rabies, the emergence of rabies in cats represents a concerning trend. Clearly, education about the occurrence of rabies in cats needs to be improved, as well as the routine vaccination of cats to reduce the associated risks to public health, agriculture, and conservation biology from a One Health perspective.

With the successful control of rabies transmitted by dogs in Brazil, wild animals have played a relevant epidemiological role in the transmission of rabies virus (RABV). Bats, non-human primates and wild canines are the main wild animals that transmit RABV in the country. It is worth highlighting the possibility of synanthropic action of these species, when they become adapted to urban areas, causing infections in domestic animals and eventually in humans. This work aimed to evaluate the circulation of RABV in the Pedra Branca Forest, an Atlantic Forest area, located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Southeast Brazil. Saliva and blood samples were obtained from 60 individuals of eight species of bats, captured with mist nets, and 13 individuals of callitrichid primates, captured with tomahawk traps. Saliva samples were subjected to Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), targeting the RABV N gene, with all samples being negative. Blood samples of all animals were submitted to the Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test (RFFIT) to detect neutralizing antibodies (Ab) for RABV. Six bat samples (8%) were seropositive for RABV with antibody titers greater than or equal to 0.1 IU/mL. The detection of Ab but not viral RNA indicates exposure rather than current RABV transmission in the analyzed populations. The results presented here reinforce the importance of serological studies in wildlife to access RABV circulation in a region., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia.)

Veterinary and human medicine are focused on the issue of emerging and re-emerging diseases, which are especially represented by zoonosis that could be a threat for public health. Zoonotic risk may come from pets: some canine and/or feline viral, bacterial, parasitic, protozoal or mycotic diseases can be transmitted directly to humans. There are several strategies to prevent the transmission of such zoonosis, and among them vaccination plays an important role. Through a survey carried out in Northern Italy aimed to collect information regarding owners' knowledge and perception of the zoonotic risks associated with three zoonoses (rabies, leptospirosis, and dermatophytosis), it was demonstrated that dog owners tend to adhere more consistently to their pets' vaccination schedules and are more receptive to changes in vaccination scheduling compared to cat owners. This study also suggests that cat owners predominantly visit veterinarians for vaccination purposes, whereas dog owners seek veterinary services for a variety of reasons. The survey highlighted the ongoing need to enhance owners' understanding of zoonoses affecting their pets and also the protective role of vaccines. Veterinarians should undertake the responsibility of educating, reassuring, and informing pet owners about the significance of vaccines for their pets and for public health., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest We have no financial or personal relationships with individuals or organizations that could inappropriately influence my work or the interpretation of the research presented in the manuscript. Additionally, we have no competing interests, including but not limited to employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership, equity interests, or patent-licensing arrangements, that could be perceived as having influenced the conduct or reporting of the research described in the manuscript. Furthermore, I confirm that we have provided full disclosure of any relationships or circumstances that could be construed as constituting a potential conflict of interest, as required by the policies and guidelines of Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Rabies is a rare, but devastating, disease. It is crucial for acute care providers to identify exposures and institute timely and appropriate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rabies virus (RABV) is the exclusive lyssavirus affecting both wild and domestic mammalian hosts in the Americas, including humans. Additionally, the Americas stand out as the sole region where bat rabies occurs. While carnivore rabies is being increasingly managed across the region, bats are emerging as significant reservoirs of RABV infection for humans and domestic animals. Knowledge of the bat species maintaining rabies and comprehending cross-species transmission (CST) and host shift processes are pivotal for directing surveillance as well as ecological research involving wildlife reservoir hosts. Prior research indicates that bat RABV CST is influenced by host genetic similarity and geographic overlap, reflecting host adaptation. In this study, we compiled and analyzed a comprehensive nucleoprotein gene dataset representing bat-borne RABV diversity in Argentina and the broader Americas using Bayesian phylogenetics. We examined the association between host genus and geography, finding both factors shaping the global phylogenetic structure. Utilizing a phylogeographic approach, we inferred CST and identified key bat hosts driving transmission. Consistent with CST determinants, we observed monophyletic/paraphyletic clustering of most bat genera in the RABV phylogeny, with stronger CST evidence between host genera of the same family. We further discuss Myotis as a potential ancestral spreader of much of RABV diversity.

Despite continuous efforts of veterinary services to control rabies in dogs since 1982, rabies remains a cause of death in Tunisia, with more than five reported human cases in 2022. As little is known on the determinants of transmission of rabies in dogs, better understand which factors contribute to its spatial heterogeneity in Tunisia is critical for developing bespoke mitigation activities. In this context, we developed Bayesian Poisson mixed-effect spatio-temporal model upon all cases of rabid dogs reported in each delegation during the period from 2019 to 2021. The best fitting model highlighted the association between the risk of rabies and the mean average monthly temperature, the density of markets and the density of dogs in delegations. Interestingly, no relationship was found between intensity of vaccination in dogs and the risk of rabies. Our results provided insights into the spatio-temporal dynamics of dog rabies transmission and highlighted specific geographic locations where the risk of infection was high despite correction for associated explanatory variables. Such an improved understanding represent key information to design bespoke, cost-efficient, rabies prevention and control strategies to support veterinary services activities and policymaking., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist, (Copyright: © 2024 Kalthoum et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Aims: The importation of rabid animals poses a continual threat to rabies freedom in the European Union (EU). Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Commission eased the rules on companion animal importations for Ukrainian refugees through derogations to the EU Pet Travel Scheme (EU PETS). As Ukraine remains endemic for canine rabies, this paper aimed to quantitatively assess whether the change in regulations affected the risk of rabies introduction to the EU., Method and Results: Transmission pathways for both EU PETS and derogations to this scheme were considered, as well as the scenarios of 100% compliance and reduced compliance within both schemes. Stochastic modelling was performed via a Monte Carlo simulation to calculate the median and 95% confidence intervals of the annual risk of rabies entry and the years between rabies entries into the EU. Following 100% compliance, the derogation scheme posed a significantly lower risk at a value of 3.63 × 10 -3 (CI 95% 1.18 × 10 -3 -9.34 × 10 -3 ) rabies entries per year in comparison to EU PETS where the risk was 4.25 × 10 -2 (CI 95% 1.44 × 10 -2 -9.81 × 10 -2 ). Despite a significantly lower risk as compared to EU PETS under 100% compliance, the derogation scheme was more sensitive to a reduction in compliance which resulted in a 74-fold increase in risk. Given this, even under reduced compliance, the annual risk remained lower under the derogation scheme, although this was not statistically significant., Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that a 4-month period of quarantine, as modelled for the derogation scenario, could reduce the annual risk of rabies entry. This scheme may present a viable solution for the management of companion animal influxes in future crises., (© 2024 The Authors. Zoonoses and Public Health published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Germany has been considered free of terrestrial rabies since 2008 as a result of intensive vaccination and surveillance efforts but reservoirs of the lyssaviruses EBLV‑1 and EBLV‑2 persist in bat colonies and thus pose a potential risk of infection. We report on a patient who suffered a bat bite in an urban setting in which European bat lyssavirus 1 (EBLV-1) was detected in the euthanized bat. We performed active and passive postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). This case study illustrates the ongoing risk of rabies infection due to close bat contacts in Germany and is intended to sensitize primary care physicians to take such exposure events seriously and to perform a regular PEP including administration of rabies immunoglobulin., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

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Dog vaccination is a cost-effective approach to preventing human rabies deaths. In Haiti, the last nation-wide dog vaccination campaign occurred in 2018. We estimated the number of human lives that could be saved by resuming dog vaccination in 2021 compared to 2022 and compared the cost-effectiveness of these two scenarios. We modified a previously published rabies transmission and economic model to estimate trends in dog and human rabies cases in Haiti from 2005 to 2025, with varying assumptions about when dog vaccinations resume. We compared model outputs to surveillance data on human rabies deaths from 2005 to 2020 and animal rabies cases from 2018 to 2020. Model predictions and surveillance data both suggest a 5- to 8-fold increase in animal rabies cases occurred in Haiti's capital city between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020. Restarting dog vaccination in Haiti in 2021 compared to 2022 could save 285 human lives and prevent 6541 human rabies exposures over a five-year period. It may also decrease program costs due to reduced need for human post-exposure prophylaxis. These results show that interruptions in dog vaccination campaigns before elimination is achieved can lead to significant human rabies epidemics if not promptly resumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March 2024, the first ever human case of rabies, following a dog bite, was detected in Timor-Leste. This paper briefly discusses the circumstances of transmission, clinical presentation, palliative care of the case and public health measures taken. Timor-Leste was previously considered rabies-free. Any person who is bitten or scratched by an animal that could potentially transmit rabies virus (especially dogs, bats, monkeys or cats) in Timor-Leste should be assessed for consideration of provision of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.

Due to the concern for animal and human health, efforts to develop mathematical and computational models for predicting the spatial and temporal dynamics of infectious diseases, including rabies, are constantly increasing. Therefore, our goal was to model the dynamics of the spread of rabies by foxes, dogs, and cats on the territory of Vinnytsia Oblast in the period from 2012 to 2018. To study and analyse the dynamic spread of rabies in time and space, an information-analytical technology was developed, which is based on retrospective data from registered cases of rabies. The rabies transmission parameter was determined using official epizootological data from the regional oblast veterinary laboratory and the regional department of the State Service of Ukraine On Food Safety and Consumer Protection. It was found that rabies spread the most among dogs and cats at a distance of up to 50 km in the winter (26.45%), from 50 to 100 km - in the autumn (40.33%), over 100 km - in the summer (49.84%). In general, domestic carnivores were sources of rabies within a radius of 50 km in only 16.98% of cases, and within a radius of 100 km - in 55.95% of cases. Foxes were sources of rabies within a radius of 50 km in only 24.33% of cases and within a radius of 100 km in 58.54% of cases. At the same time, the highest spread of rabies among the foxes at a distance of up to 50 km was observed in the spring (31.01%), from 50 to 100 km - in the winter (43.67%), and over 100 km - in the summer (48.38%). The new data will be useful in planning and carrying out preventive anti-rabies measures. In the future, it is planned to conduct the modelling in terms of all regions and create forecasts for the spread of rabies on the territory of Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabies is a viral zoonosis caused by negative-stranded RNA viruses of the Lyssavirus genus. It can affect all mammals including humans. Dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans. Vaccination against rabies is still the sole efficient way to fight against the disease. Cell culture vaccines are recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) for pre and post exposure prophylaxis; among them Vero cell rabies vaccines which are used worldwide. In this work we studied the purification of inactivated rabies virus produced in Vero cells grown in animal component free conditions, using different methods. Cells were grown in VP-SFM medium in stirred bioreactor, then infected at an MOI of 0.05 with the LP2061 rabies virus strain. Collected harvests were purified by zonal centrifugation, and by chromatography supports, namely the Capto Core 700 and the monolithic CIM-QA column. Generated data were compared in terms of residual DNA level, host cell proteins (HCP) level and the overall recovery yield. Rabies virus purification using the monolithic column resulted in the highest antigen recovery yield, equal to 94%. Capto Core 700 showed a lower yield, about 84%; whereas the purification yield by zonal centrifugation was equal to 60%. In terms of host cell residual DNA removal, zonal centrifugation was the most efficient method; the removal yield was equal to 88.5%; elimination of host cell DNA was slightly lower when using the monolithic CIM-QA (equal to 73%). Whereas Capto Core 700 showed the lowest level (49.2%). Host cell protein removal varied between 92.6% for the monolithic column and 78.6% for the zonal centrifugation. Capto Core 700 eliminated 86.5% of HCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of a 90% reduction in neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2030 requires innovative control strategies. This proof-of-concept study examined the effectiveness of integrating control programs for two NTDs: mass drug administration (MDA) for soil-transmitted helminths in humans and mass dog rabies vaccination (MDRV).Methods: The study was carried out in 24 Tanzanian villages. The primary goal was to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating community-wide MDA for STH and MDRV for rabies. The objectives were to investigate the popularity, participation and cost and time savings of integrated delivery, and to investigate the reach of the MDA with respect to primary school-aged children and other community members. To implement, we randomly allocated villages for delivery of MDA and MDRV (Arm A), MDA only (Arm B) or MDRV only (Arm C).Results: Community support for the integrated delivery was strong (e.g. 85% of focus group discussions concluded that it would result in people getting "two for one" health treatments). A high proportion of households participated in the integrated Arm A events (81.7% MDA, 80.4% MDRV), and these proportions were similar to those in Arms B and C. These findings suggest that coverage might not be reduced when interventions are integrated. Moreover, in addition to time savings, integrated delivery resulted in a 33% lower cost per deworming dose and a 16% lower cost per rabies vaccination. The median percentage of enrolled primary school children treated by this study was 76%. However, because 37% of the primary school aged children that received deworming treatment were not enrolled in school, we hypothesize that the employed strategy could reach more school-aged children than would be reached through a solely school-based delivery strategy.Conclusions: Integrated delivery platforms for health interventions can be feasible, popular, cost and time saving. The insights gained could be applicable in areas of sub-Saharan Africa that are remote or underserved by health services. These results indicate the utility of integrated One Health delivery platforms and suggest an important role in the global campaign to reduce the burden of NTDs, especially in hard-to-reach communities.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov NCT03667079 , retrospectively registered 11th September 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 19 modelling studies were found which considered the impact of interventions on rabies control. • Dog vaccination was found to be the most commonly evaluated control strategy. • Point estimates of the basic reproduction number ranged from close to one to nearly 2.5 (95% CI extending to nearly 3.5). • Most studies found that vaccinating 70% of dogs annually was likely to have a major impact on rabies incidence. • Vaccine coverage, dog density and birth rate were identified as crucial factors influencing the effectiveness of the intervention. The public health and economic burden of rabies has led to major intersectoral initiatives worldwide to reduce its burden. Over the last decade, the impact of rabies prevention and control programmes in real-world settings has become increasingly evident, especially in countries where most rabies exposures and deaths occur, but they have yet to successfully eradicate rabies due to limited access to health care services. We aimed to systematically review published transmission dynamic modelling studies of rabies in both humans and dogs with a focus on studies which estimated the epidemiological and economic impact of different preventive measures. The findings are intended to inform the World Health Organization's (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) to improve programmatic feasibility and clinical practice in rabies. Medline and Scopus were systematically searched for peer-reviewed articles which were published up to 14th June 2017. In addition, studies identified from a meeting of the WHO Expert Consultation on Rabies on 26–28th April 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand were added, resulting in 19 articles which were included in the review. Results from the disease modelling indicated that the basic reproduction number was low (less than 2 in all but one study). All studies found that rabies control through canine vaccination was likely to be effective in terms of reducing the incidence of rabies in dogs and/or humans, with most studies suggesting 70% annual coverage was adequate. Vaccine coverage, dog density and birth rate were identified as crucial factors influencing the effectiveness of the interventions. In conclusion, the findings from this review suggest that rabies control through canine vaccination is likely to be effective in reducing the incidence of rabies. Vaccine coverage, dog density and canine birth rate were identified as critical factors influencing the effectiveness of vaccination interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In infectious disease, Rabies has the highest case fatality rate. The major burden of rabies is attributable to dog- mediated transmission rabies. Globally 26,400 - 61,000 deaths occur due to rabies annually and among them 95% of which are due to dog bite. In India 20,000 deaths occurs due to rabies in human and dog bites are the most common cause for the same. This high surge in this particular disease is thoroughly attributed to this reason of lack of awareness among commoners about wound management of dog bites and mainly due to lack of compliance to vaccination schedule by them. This work focuses to study the pattern of dog bites, dog bite management practices, compliance of anti-rabies vaccine regimen and existing taboos practiced in relation to dog bite. A Cross sectional study was carried out in Primary Health Center, Semmancherry an urban slum. It included patients attending anti- rabies clinic with the sample size 301.A pretested, semi structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Chi - square test and Independent T- test was used. The overall compliance of anti - rabies vaccine in study population was 70.5%. The major constraints for compliance were 41.4% loss of wages. Only half of the participants washed the wound with soup and water but only 5% washed the bite site with soap and water applied antiseptic. The overall score of the management practices of dog bite was found to be 2.71 ± 1.00. 83.4% of the study participants followed some food restriction after dog bite. Only half of the participants followed right management practices. Compliance of ARV in our study was moderate. Many cultural practices and taboos were prevalent. Health education and behaviour change communication need to be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dog bites pose a serious but underestimated public health problem in developing countries like India as it causes millions of injuries and thousands of deaths among its sufferers due to risk of rabies transmission. Studying their seasonal pattern and variations would help in understanding their determinants and guide in formulating policies to contain this problem and eventually help in achieving elimination of rabies. Aim: To study the seasonal pattern and variations in incidence of dog bites and its association with severity in union territory of Northern India. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was carried out at an Anti-Rabies Clinic (ARC) providing pre and post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies in Union Territory of Chandigarh, Northern India. All the cases of dog bite registered at the clinic for receiving post-exposure prophylaxis during the time period of 1st January to 31st December 2015 were examined from records and classified across the seasons according to timing of the bite to look for seasonal pattern and variation. Categories of all the dog bites registered as per WHO classification (Category II and III) of bite severity were also extracted from the records and were tabulated across the seasons. The severity of the dog bites was then correlated with the seasonality. One-Way analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied for comparing mean number of dog bites per month across the seasons. The chi-square test was applied to determine the statistical significance between the dog bite severity across the seasons. Results: A total of 853 cases of dog bite were registered at the clinic for post-exposure prophylaxis during the reference period. Mean number of dog bite cases per month were recorded highest in the spring season (90.0±16.9) followed by winters (82.5±13.0), the difference across the seasons being statistically significant (F value=5.26, p=0.02). Severity wise too, Category III bites were reported significantly more during spring (57.7%) and winter seasons (65.2%) as compared to summer and autumn seasons (c2 =12.87, p=0.005). Conclusion: The present study provides the evidence that dog bites in a union territory of Northern India have wider seasonal variation. A significantly higher number of cases were observed in spring and winter seasons compared to other seasons which require further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabies is a fatal disease caused by infection with rabies virus (RABV), and human rabies is still a critical public-health concern in China. Although there have been some phylogenetic studies about RABV transmission patterns, with the accumulation of more rabies sequences in recent years, there is an urgent need to update and clarify the spatial and temporal patterns of RABV circulating in China on a national scale. In this study, we collected all available RABV nucleoprotein gene sequences from China and its neighboring countries and performed comparative analysis. We identified six significant subclades of RABV circulating in China and found that each of them has a specific geographical distribution, reflecting possible physical barriers to gene flow. The phylogeographic analysis revealed minimal viral movement among different geographical locations. An analysis using Bayesian coalescent methods indicated that the current RABV strains in China may come from a common ancestor about 400 years ago, and currently, China is amid the second event of increasing RABV population since the 1950s, but the population has decreased gradually. We did not detect any evidence of recombination in the sequence dataset, nor did we find any evidence for positive selection during the expansion of RABV. Overall, geographic location and neutral genetic drift may be the main factors in shaping the phylogeography of RABV transmission in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia is currently canine rabies free. However, communities located on the northern coastline–such as the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA), Queensland–are at risk of an incursion due to their large populations of susceptible free-roaming dogs and proximity to rabies-infected Indonesian islands. A rabies-spread model was used to simulate potential outbreaks and evaluate various disease control strategies. A heterogeneous contact structure previously described in the population of interest–explorer dogs, roamer dogs and stay-at-home dogs–was incorporated into the model using six spatial kernels describing contacts between dog roaming categories. Twenty-seven vaccination strategies were investigated based on a complete block design of 50%, 70% and 90% coverage for each of the three roaming categories to simulate various targeted vaccination strategies. The 27 strategies were implemented in four population structures in which the proportion of dogs in each category varied–explorer dominant, roamer dominant, stay-at-home dominant and a field population (based on field estimates of population structure). The overall vaccination coverage varied depending on the subpopulation targeted for vaccination and the population structure modelled. A total of 108 scenarios were simulated 2000 times and the model outputs (outbreak size and duration) were compared to Strategy 14 (a standard recommended overall 70% vaccination coverage). In general, targeting explorer dogs–and to a lesser extent roamer dogs–produced similar outbreaks to Strategy 14 but with a lower overall vaccination coverage. Similarly, strategies that targeted stay-at-home dogs required a higher vaccination coverage to produce significantly smaller and shorter outbreaks. This study provides some theoretical evidence that targeting subpopulations of dogs for vaccination based on their roaming behaviours (and therefore risk of rabies transmission) could be more efficient than blanket 70% vaccination campaigns. Such information can be used in preparedness planning to help improve control of a potential rabies incursion in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rabies, a disease of antiquity, continues to be a major public health problem in India and itis 100% fatal. Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice about rabies among pharmacy students of Assam Medical College and Hospital, to assess whether there is any difference of knowledge, attitude and practice among male and female students and study the socio-demographic profile of the students. Materials &Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 156 pharmacy students by purposive sampling using pre designed structured close ended questionnaire. Knowledge and attitude was assessed by a scoring system. Statistical analysis was done by percentage and chi square test. Results: The mean age of the students was 20.64 ± 1.42 years. Most (63.5%) of the students were males and most (46.7%) of them belong to the Hindu religion. Almost all (97.4%) the students had heard the word rabies. Conclusion: Most (61.2%) of the students had average knowledge, 38.8 % had good knowledge, 48.7 % had negative attitude and 51.3 % had positive attitude about rabies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabies is highly contagious and has a mortality close to 100%. Patients who have the disease, manifest very severe symptoms such as irritability and excessive pain. The efforts of worldwide vaccination of companion animals have allowed control of the disease, practically leading to eradication. This status is lost if we do not consider that not only pets can transmit the disease. There is probability of human contagion through wildlife. In the present work, the intention was to determine the main source of contagion that causes the nations to lose the status of eradication of rabies. Findings show that a means of critical contagion is the transmission of rabies by bats, regardless of their eating habits, so strategies proposed intend to achieve the goal of eradicating rabies worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human rabies is one of the major public health problems in China with an average of 1977 cases per year. It is estimated that 95% of these human rabies cases are due to dog bites. In recent years, the number of wildlife-associated human rabies cases has increased, particularly in the southeast and northeast regions of mainland China. Chinese ferret badgers (CFBs) are one of the most popular wildlife animals which are distributed mostly in the southeast region of China. Human cases caused by rabid CFB were first recorded in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, in 1994. From 1996 to 2004, more than 30 human cases were caused by CFB bites in Zhejiang Province. In this paper, based on the reported data of the human rabies caused by both dogs and CFB in Zhejiang Province, we propose a multi-host zoonotic model for the dog-CFB-human transmission of rabies. We first evaluate the basic reproduction number R0, discuss the stability of the disease-free equilibrium, and study persistence of the disease. Then we use our model to fit the reported data in Zhejiang Province from 2004 to 2017 and forecast the trend of human or livestock rabies. Finally by carrying out sensitivity analysis of the basic reproduction number in terms of parameters, we find that the transmission between dogs and CFB, the quantity of dogs, and the vaccination rate of dogs play important roles in the transmission of rabies. Our study suggests that rabies control and prevention strategies should include enhancing public education and awareness about rabies, increasing dog vaccination rate, reducing the dog and CFB interactions, and avoiding CFB bites or contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rabies is an infectious viral disease that is almost always fatal following the onset of clinical signs. Forty percent of all human rabies occur in children <14-year-old. In up to 99% of rabies virus is transmitted by dogs. Objective: To determine the mortality risk factor of children with rabies dog bites in Prof. Dr. RD Kandou Hospital, Manado, from 2012-2016. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all pediatric patients with rabies dog bites. Rabies was diagnosed via detection of nucleoprotein from dogs brain using fluorescent antibody test (FAT). We used chi-square test and calculated odd ratio using software SPSS 23.0 to determine the mortality risk factor of patients with rabies dog bites, considering p value <0.05 as significant. Results: During the study period, 38 children came with rabies dog bites (71.1% were boys). Incubation period range from 1 week to 4 years. Most common bites location was hand. Symptoms associated with rabies mortality were hydrophobia (OR 143, 95% CI 11.78- 1735.96, p=0.0001), photophobia (OR 19.6, 95% CI 2.04-181.93, p=0.002), and hypersalivation (100% mortality, p=0.0001). Post-exposure vaccination associated with mortality of patients (OR 0.003, 95% CI 0.000-0.056, p=0.0001). Conclusion: Hypersalivation, hydrophobia, and photophobia are major risk factors of rabies dog bites mortality. Post-exposure vaccination is important to prevent rabies infection after a high-risk bite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Resurgence of dog rabies cases after two mass dog vaccination campaigns in N'Djamena, Chad, is better explained by importation of latent dogs than by heterogeneity or underreporting. • The two vaccination campaigns averted an estimated 67 cases of dog rabies and 124 human exposures over two years. • Maintaining rabies elimination in N'Djamena would require repeated vaccination campaigns or the prevention of reintroduction through importation. Abstract Rabies transmission was interrupted for several months in N'Djamena, the capital city of Chad, after two mass vaccination campaigns of dogs. However, there was a resurgence in cases, which was not predicted by previous models of rabies transmission. We developed a deterministic metapopulation model with importation of latent dogs, calibrated to four years of weekly incidence data from passive surveillance, to investigate possible causes for the early resurgence. Our results indicate that importation of latently infective dogs better explains the data than heterogeneity or underreporting. Stochastic implementations of the model suggest that the two vaccination campaigns averted approximately 67 cases of dog rabies (out of an estimated 74 cases without vaccination) and 124 human exposures (out of an estimated 148 human exposures without vaccination) over two years. Dog rabies vaccination is therefore an effective way of preventing rabies in the dog population and to subsequently reduce human exposure. However, vaccination campaigns have to be repeated to maintain the effect or reintroduction through importation has to be prevented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine-mediated human rabies is endemic to the entire African continent, where the disease burden is often highest in rural communities of resource-limited countries. In this study, we analysed an animal rabies outbreak, which had persisted since 2010 in the predominantly metropolitan capital city of Zimbabwe, Harare. As rabies is considered to disproportionally affect rural communities, the persistence of urban rabies in this metropolitan setting is of interest. In order to gain an improved understanding of the epidemiology of the outbreak under investigation, we utilised both routine surveillance data that had been collected during the first eight years of the outbreak (2010–2017), as well as molecular epidemiological analyses relying on the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo methodology. This approach allowed us to characterize virus transmission by identifying specific suburbs within the city limits where persistent disease transmission took place, while also confirming that immunologically naïve dogs were the most likely reservoir species in and around the city. In addition to gaining an improved local understanding of the outbreak, we are also able to infer that rabies was likely introduced to the city in 2010 when a rabid animal was moved from the north-east of Zimbabwe into Harare–resulting in an epizootic event. The work presented here not only showcased the value of combining conventional and molecular epidemiological data, but also highlighted the importance of maintaining rabies vaccination coverage and continued public awareness in urban areas where the risk appears to be low. By educating the general population on rabies and relying on owners to bring their companion animals to strategically placed vaccination points, the control and elimination of rabies from Harare may be feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We extend our previous work on the spatial spread of fox rabies from one dimension to two dimensions. We consider the case when the latent period has fixed length. We use the method of lines to replace the spatial derivatives and the integral equations with algebraic approximations, then we apply the explicit continuous Runge–Kutta method of fourth order and discrete Runge–Kutta method of third order with six stages to numerically integrate the resulting systems of ordinary and delay differential equations. We discuss and confirm some of the major results we obtained in earlier work. The asymptotic speeds of spread observed in the two-dimensional simulations and in earlier work are discussed and compared with those found in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE To describe rabies and rabies-related events occurring during 2017 in the United States. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of passive surveillance data. ANIMALS All animals submitted for laboratory diagnosis of rabies in the United States during 2017. PROCEDURES State and territorial public health departments provided data on animals submitted for rabies testing in 2017. Data were analyzed temporally and geographically to assess trends in domestic and sylvatic animal rabies cases. RESULTS During 2017, 52 jurisdictions reported 4,454 rabid animals to the CDC, representing a 9.3% decrease from the 4,910 rabid animals reported in 2016. Of the 4,454 cases of animal rabies, 4,055 (91.0%) involved wildlife species. Relative contributions by the major animal groups were as follows: 1,433 (32.2%) bats, 1,275 (28.6%) raccoons, 939 (21.1%) skunks, 314 (7.0%) foxes, 276 (6.2%) cats, 62 (1.4%) dogs, and 36 (0.8%) cattle. There was a 0.4% increase in the number of samples submitted for testing in 2017, compared with the number submitted in 2016. Two human rabies deaths were reported in 2017, compared with none in 2016. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The overall number of reported cases of animal rabies has decreased over time. Laboratory testing of animals suspected to be rabid remains a critical public health function and continues to be a cost-effective method to directly influence human rabies postexposure prophylaxis recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Our results revealed the persistent nature of canine rabies in Algeria. • Female and Stray dogs, north-east and steppe region were the most affected categories. • The vaccination coverage findings indicated that 30.81% of vaccinated are not immune to rabies. • Our results showed a weak immune response of inactivated vaccine without adjuvant. Abstract Rabies is a neglected zoonotic disease. Several animal species can transmit rabies, but domestic dogs are the main reservoir implicated in rabies transmission to human and other susceptible animals. There is a scarcity of data regarding canine rabies in Algeria. Hence, this report is the first study that attempts to understand the epidemiology of dog rabies through a retrospective national study of rabies cases between 2010 and 2016, determination of canine vaccination coverage and evaluation of immune response of three rabies commercial vaccines used in Algeria. Our results revealed the persistent nature of dog rabies in Algeria; with a mean of 131 positive cases per year. The vaccination coverage findings indicated that 30.81% (126/409) of the reported vaccinated dog and 47.98% (261/544) of all studied dogs presented low level of rabies antibodies titres (less than 0.5 IU), and were therefore considered not immune to rabies. Additionally, our vaccine evaluation findigs showed a weak immune response of inactivated vaccine without adjuvant. Even with adjuvanted inactivated and attenuated live vaccines, several vaccinated dogs did not develop vaccine protection. Therefore, our results recommend further studies to test the efficiency of adding a booster vaccine shot, especially in primo-vaccinated dogs to optimize the vaccination protocol; rabies is potentially fatal zoonosis, tolerating no vaccine failure. Moreover, the present study establish the necessity to re-examine the national rabies control program, implemented in 1996, particularly concerning population education, vaccination strategy, surveillance and campaigns monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maxillofacial injuries are reported commonly in children encountering animal/dog attack. The level of knowledge of children on such events can form a sound basis for the prevention of maxillofacial injuries resulting from dog bites/attacks.Aim: This study aims to assess the knowledge of children on maxillofacial injuries resulting from dog bites, their management, and rescue skills to be used during the event of a dog attack.Settings and Design: The study is a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.Material and Methods: Seven hundred children aged 7-12 years participated in the study. A questionnaire consisting of 21 questions assessed the common site and management of injury resulting from dog bites, the source of exposure, and the knowledge of children on rescue skills to be used in the event of dog attack. This was followed by an awareness program to educate the children on rescue skills and management of dog bite injuries.Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics were calculated for all the variables.Results: A significant percentage of dog bite injuries occurred on the face and hands in children. Boys were more common victims. Familiar dogs inflicted injuries to the children commonly than stray dogs. The children lacked knowledge on the management of dog bite injuries; however, they were aware of rabies and its prevention. The children were not well aware of rescue skills to be used in the event of a dog attack.Conclusion: Children are innocent and behavior of dogs are unpredictable hence they become victims of the dog attacks. Educating children on safe animal behavior can prove vital in reducing gruesome maxillofacial injuries resulting from dog attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine rabies transmission was interrupted in N’Djaména, Chad, following two mass vaccination campaigns. However, after nine months cases resurged with re-establishment of endemic rabies transmission to pre-intervention levels. Previous analyses investigated district level spatial heterogeneity of vaccination coverage, and dog density; and importation, identifying the latter as the primary factor for rabies resurgence. Here we assess the impact of individual level heterogeneity on outbreak probability, effectiveness of vaccination campaigns and likely time to resurgence after a campaign. Geo-located contact sensors recorded the location and contacts of 237 domestic dogs in N’Djaména over a period of 3.5 days. The contact network data showed that urban dogs are socially related to larger communities and constrained by the urban architecture. We developed a network generation algorithm that extrapolates this empirical contact network to networks of large dog populations and applied it to simulate rabies transmission in N’Djaména. The model predictions aligned well with the rabies incidence data. Using the model we demonstrated, that major outbreaks are prevented when at least 70% of dogs are vaccinated. The probability of a minor outbreak also decreased with increasing vaccination coverage, but reached zero only when coverage was near total. Our results suggest that endemic rabies in N’Djaména may be explained by a series of importations with subsequent minor outbreaks. We show that highly connected dogs hold a critical role in transmission and that targeted vaccination of such dogs would lead to more efficient vaccination campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vast majority of rabies deaths occur in developing countries and rural areas. Due to the absence of surveillance and the lack of reliable information, many endemic countries are not able to assess their rabies burden and implement appropriate solutions. This study reports the incidence of animal bites considered at risk of rabies transmission, along with rates and determinants of the adherence to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) between 2008 and 2014 in Dodoma Region, Tanzania. A retrospective analysis of rabid animal bites considered at risk of rabies transmission at Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital (DRRH) during 2008–2014 was conducted. Data were collected from the registers of patients presenting to the hospital because of a potential rabies exposure. The patients were assessed by a trained health worker and each bite was considered as “at risk of rabies” based on the victim’s description of the event. Overall, 10,771 patients coming from Dodoma Region attended DRRH because of a bite from a suspected rabid animal, giving a mean incidence of 74 bites at risk of rabies transmission per 100,000 persons per year. Overall, only 46.0% of people exposed received a complete course of PEP and 61.6% attended the clinic within 48 hours after the bite. Multivariate analysis shows that people age >15 years, residence in rural areas and occurrence during the rainy season were independently associated to delayed access to care. Male gender, age below 15 years. and bites occurring during the dry season were associated with completion of PEP. In this area with a high rate of at-risk bites, several factors—mainly related to health care access and to the affordability and delivery of rabies vaccines—still need to be addressed in order to reduce gender and social inequalities in rabies prevention and control. Further efforts are required to establish an efficient rabies surveillance system in Dodoma Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The canine variant of the rabies virus has been eliminated in the United States. Among the public and many healthcare providers, however, dog bites are still associated with risk for rabies transmission. This study examined the risk of rabies in biting dogs and the use of rabies post‐exposure prophylaxis (rPEP) for dog bite victims in Tennessee. The study included a retrospective analysis of laboratory testing requisitions for dogs from 2002 to 2016, collection of clinical data on confirmed rabies‐positive dogs from 2008 to 2016 and analysis of hospital discharge data for rPEP from 2007 to 2014. Among dogs submitted for rabies testing, those having a recent history of biting were significantly less likely to test positive for rabies than dogs with no reported bite (OR = 0.01; 95% CI [0.003–0.04]). The most common clinical signs reported among rabies‐positive dogs were anorexia, dysphagia, ataxia, limb paresis or paralysis, and lethargy; aggressiveness was uncommon. Among hospital patients with an animal‐related injury who received rPEP, more than half (52%) presented with dog bites. These data show that laboratory submissions for rabies testing and prescriptions for rPEP do not reflect the epidemiology of rabies in Tennessee. Education and outreach targeting the public and healthcare providers should emphasize the animal species and situations associated with a greater risk for rabies transmission, such as bites from rabies reservoir species or animals exhibiting signs of neurologic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese ferret badger (FB)-transmitted rabies is a serious threat to public health in southeast China. Although mostly associated with dogs, the rabies virus (RABV) presents genetic diversity and has a significantly wide host range in China. Instead of the dog- and wildlife-associated China II lineage in the past decades, the China I lineage has become the main epidemic group hosted and transmitted by dogs. In this study, four new lineages, including 43 RABVs from FBs, have been classified within the dog-dominated China I lineage since 2014. FB RABVs have been previously categorized in the China II lineage. Moreover, FB-hosted viruses seem to have become the main independent FB-associated clade in the phylogenetic tree. This claim suggests that the increasing genetic diversity of RABVs in FBs is a result of the selective pressure from coexisting dog rabies. FB transmission has become complicated and serious with the coexistence of dog rabies. Therefore, apart from targeting FB rabies, priority should be provided by the appropriate state agencies to perform mass immunization of dog against rabies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dog rabies annually causes 24,000–70,000 deaths globally. We built a spreadsheet tool, RabiesEcon, to aid public health officials to estimate the cost-effectiveness of dog rabies vaccination programs in East Africa. Methods: RabiesEcon uses a mathematical model of dog-dog and dog-human rabies transmission to estimate dog rabies cases averted, the cost per human rabies death averted and cost per year of life gained (YLG) due to dog vaccination programs (US 2015 dollars). We used an East African human population of 1 million (approximately 2/3 living in urban setting, 1/3 rural). We considered, using data from the literature, three vaccination options; no vaccination, annual vaccination of 50% of dogs and 20% of dogs vaccinated semi-annually. We assessed 2 transmission scenarios: low (1.2 dogs infected per infectious dog) and high (1.7 dogs infected). We also examined the impact of annually vaccinating 70% of all dogs (World Health Organization recommendation for dog rabies elimination). Results: Without dog vaccination, over 10 years there would a total of be approximately 44,000–65,000 rabid dogs and 2,100–2,900 human deaths. Annually vaccinating 50% of dogs results in 10-year reductions of 97% and 75% in rabid dogs (low and high transmissions scenarios, respectively), approximately 2,000–1,600 human deaths averted, and an undiscounted cost-effectiveness of $451-$385 per life saved. Semi-annual vaccination of 20% of dogs results in in 10-year reductions of 94% and 78% in rabid dogs, and approximately 2,000–1,900 human deaths averted, and cost $404-$305 per life saved. In the low transmission scenario, vaccinating either 50% or 70% of dogs eliminated dog rabies. Results were most sensitive to dog birth rate and the initial rate of dog-to-dog transmission (Ro). Conclusions: Dog rabies vaccination programs can control, and potentially eliminate, dog rabies. The frequency and coverage of vaccination programs, along with the level of dog rabies transmission, can affect the cost-effectiveness of such programs. RabiesEcon can aid both the planning and assessment of dog rabies vaccination programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Seroprevalence of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (rVNA) in raccoons ( Procyon lotor) following oral rabies vaccination (ORV) with RABORAL V-RG® in the United States has annually averaged 30% since 1997, a level that is unlikely to successfully interrupt rabies transmission in raccoon populations. A longitudinal ORV zone is maintained in the eastern United States with raccoon variant rabies established east of the zone but absent to the west. However, questions remain regarding the effect of the bait application strategy towards achieving optimal population immunity. We estimated the number of ORV baits/km2 of raccoon home range and calculated rVNA seroprevalence following 2 ORV baiting strategies: cluster baiting (≤10 baits dropped at a time) via helicopter and hand distribution of individual baits at regular intervals along roads and trails in suburban Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, during fall 2013 and 2014. We applied baits at 75 baits/km2 under both strategies. We established 6 1-km2 cells in each treatment area, and fitted ≤2 raccoons with global positioning system collars in each cell. We trapped and sampled ≤25 raccoons in each study cell pre- and post-ORV application for rVNA analysis. Overall raccoon home range and core area estimates were 80.7 ha and 17.5 ha, respectively ( n = 36). Average bait application for home ranges ( n = 32 home ranges that received bait) was 80.9 baits/km2 for helicopter baiting and 63.6 baits/km2 for hand baiting sites. Average bait application for core areas was 104.7 baits/km2 for helicopter baiting and 69.2 baits/km2 for hand baiting sites. All home ranges were baited in both treatment areas, whereas 10/18 and 13/14 core areas were baited in the helicopter and hand distribution sites, respectively. Overall, helicopter cluster ORV delivered more baits/km2 of raccoon home range than hand distribution but was less effective in reaching core areas. Seroprevalence did not change as a function of baiting strategy (helicopter vs. hand baiting). The average overall increase in seroprevalence following ORV application was 8.9%. Evaluation of additional strategies are needed because both methods failed to achieve herd immunity necessary to disrupt rabies transmission in raccoons. © 2017 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 100 years of research has now been conducted into the prevention, control and elimination of rabies with safe and highly efficacious vaccines developed for use in human and animal populations. Domestic dogs are a major reservoir for rabies, and although considerable advances have been made towards the elimination and control of canine rabies in many parts of the world, the disease continues to kill tens of thousands of people every year in Africa and Asia. Policy efforts are now being directed towards a global target of zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030 and the global elimination of canine rabies. Herewe demonstrate howresearch provides a cause for optimism as to the feasibility of these goals through strategies based around mass dog vaccination. We summarize some of the pragmatic insights generated from rabies epidemiology and dog ecology research that can improve the design of dog vaccination strategies in low- and middleincomecountries andwhich should encourage implementationwithout further delay.We also highlight the need for realism in reaching the feasible, although technically more difficult and longer-term goal of global elimination of canine rabies. Finally, we discuss how research on rabies has broader relevance to the control and elimination of a suite of diseases of current concern to human and animal health, providing an exemplar of the value of a 'One Health' approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study to analyze deterministic model of dog-human rabies transmission, which found that the number of new dogs infected by a rabid dog, fell to below one through November 2014. According to the study, new dog rabies cases appeared earlier than the transmission and phylodynamic models due to the continuous movement of rabies-exposed dogs from outside the city.

Rabies is an infectious viral disease that is practically always fatal following the onset of clinical signs. In Mexico, the last case of human rabies transmitted by dogs was reported in 2006 and canine rabies has declined significantly due to vaccination campaigns implemented in the country. Here we report on the molecular characterization of six rabies virus strains found in Yucatan and Chiapas, remarkably, four of them showed an atypical reaction pattern when antigenic characterization with a reduced panel of eight monoclonal antibodies was performed. Phylogenetic analyses on the RNA sequences unveiled that the three atypical strains from Yucatan are associated with skunks. Analysis using the virus entire genome showed that they belong to a different lineage distinct from the variants described for this animal species in Mexico. The Chiapas atypical strain was grouped in a lineage that was considered extinct, while the others are clustered within classic dog variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dog bite injury is the one important public health concern especially in rabies endemic areas such as Asia. The negative impacts of dog bite include rabies virus inoculation, wound infection, psychological problems or other somatic disabilities. Thailand is one of rabies endemic country and canine population which is rabid mammals still circulate in the community. The perception of rabies prevention program is necessary and reflect the success of the prevention campaign in communities. The objective of this study was to access the perception of victim practices after the dog bite and their perception of negative impacts to victims. The cross-sectional study was conducted during January 2015 to December 2016. Twenty-one participants who Participatory One Health Disease Detection (PODD) volunteers were invited into the study. We created the perception's ranking table and keyword cards for the participation. The victims ordered the keyword card and discussed with their ordering. The ranking and discussing data were collected and analyzed by Kendall coefficient of concordance. Only nine participants (42.86%) knew or accustomed the details of dog bite prevention campaign. We significantly found of concordance in both topics; the effect of the bite that victims mostly concerned was rabies virus infection (mean rank = 1.64, Kendall's W = 0.63, p < 0.05) and the foremost priority that they practice after bite was wound washing with clean water (mean rank = 1.45, Kendall's W = 0.51, p < 0.05). We suggested that knowledge of the rabies prevention program and the practical knowledge of victim after the bite were approximated trend and novel implements for the dog bite prevention campaign advertising to the community should re-establishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis) are the primary vector and maintenance host species for rabies in the western half of South Africa. Reported cases of rabies in this species peak during the dry season, although reasons for this annual peak are unknown. Rabies transmission is dependent on contact rates, thus seasonal differences in social behavior or movements may facilitate increased contact rates in the dry season. During an ecological study of bat-eared foxes in South Africa from 2005 to 2008, we compared between the wet and dry seasons several aspects of the ecology of bat-eared foxes that presumably would influence contact rates. Bat-eared foxes had significantly larger group sizes in the dry season, which would presumably increase intragroup contact rates, and significantly greater home-range sizes, greater home-range overlap and higher rates of excursions (i.e., short-term forays from their home range), which would presumably increase intergroup contact rates. Seasonal differences in behavior and movements of bat-eared foxes likely were related to their reproductive cycle and seasonal availability of food resources. In contrast to previous reports, we documented relatively high rates of physical contact between bateared foxes and dogs (Canis familiaris) and black-backed jackals (C. mesomelas), suggesting there is potential for bat-eared foxes to transmit the rabies virus to larger canids in the region. We provide recommendations for control of rabies outbreaks in bat-eared foxes if it becomes a health or management concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabies is an uncommon disease that rarely is encountered in U.S. EDs. Rabies is considered a uniformly fatal disease, but with proper awareness and early PEP, it can be prevented. All patients presenting to the ED with animal bites or bat exposures should be evaluated for criteria for rabies PEP. Rabies should be on the differential diagnosis of any patient who presents with acute encephalitis and a history of animal bites or bat exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, rabies control in dogs and cats was pioneered by the state of São Paulo with the adoption of the Pan American Health Organization recommendations for prophylaxis and control, which led to a reduction in rabies cases from 1994 onwards. As a result of these measures, the rabies virus (RABV) genetic lineage associated with dogs has not been found in the state since 1998, and all the cases in domestic animals reported since then have been caused by bat-associated lineages of RABV. In the light of this, this study sought to investigate rabies cases in dogs and cats in the state of São Paulo between 2005 and 2014 and identify the associated transmission cycles by characterizing the RABV lineages responsible for these cases. Nine samples from dogs ( n = 5) and from cats ( n = 4) were collected between 2005 and 2014. The tenth animal, a rabid cat, was analysed by a different laboratory. The N gene nucleotide sequences obtained were analysed with the neighbor-joining algorithm and Kimura 2-parameter model using the MEGA 6 program. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the genetic lineages identified in all the samples were those circulating in Brazilian bats. The findings of this study demonstrate that bats play an important role in the transmission of rabies to domestic animals in São Paulo state and that emphasis should be placed on the implementation of public policies to support surveillance of chiropterans for rabies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]