An Analysis of Rabies Incidence and Its Geographic Spread in the Buffer Area Among Orally Vaccinated Wildlife in Ukraine From 2012 to 2016

Abstract

The statistics of rabies cases in Volyn, Lviv, and Zakarpattia oblasts of Ukraine from 2012 to 2016 were analyzed to establish spatial–temporal distribution of rabies endemic outbreaks and to identify causes of widespread infections among wild and domestic animals. The occurrence of rabies outbreaks in wild and domestic animals in Ukraine was also assessed to determine the effectiveness of oral rabies vaccination (ORV) efforts. According to our analysis, parenteral vaccination of domestic animals and ORV campaigns in foxes have proved unsuccessful in providing a sustainable, long-term reduction in endemic rabies outbreaks. ORV campaigns in foxes were deemed ineffective based on our studies of the endemic rabies outbreaks in Volyn, Lviv, and Zakarpattia oblasts in 2012–2016. The current rabies prevention system (parenteral vaccination) failed to offer protection to domestic animals based on our review of the occurrence of endemic rabies outbreaks in dogs and cats. ORV campaign shortcomings and their causes must be identified in order to provide maximum rabies vaccine coverage for dogs and cats. Altogether, the results presented here provide information that can assist public health agencies to devise more effective disease control plans to curtail the spread of rabies in domestic animals and wildlife in Ukraine.

Rabies Virus Infection in Livestock

“…In the United States, Canada, and Mexico, few cases were reported in cattle [53]. The same situation showing a very few reported rabies cases in cattle in Ukraine during 2012-2016 was reported [37].…”

“…In China, local rabies vaccines have been used for emergency immunization of beef and dairy cattle and Bactrian (two-humped) camels [8]. In Ukraine, vaccination of domestic dogs and cats, besides oral vaccination of wild animals, mainly foxes, is adopted to control rabies [37]. In Latin America, due to attacks of bats, rabies is a significant problem, especially in cattle; many countries tend to vaccinate cattle but with an inadequate response from owners.…”

“…Wild animals are reported as a cause for more than 90% of the animal rabies cases in the U.S. and Canada in 2010 [59]. Foxes are the main affected animals and the source of rabies infection in Ukraine [37]. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the main transmitter of rabies is the blood-sucking bat [33,54].…”

Retrospective study of rabies epidemiology in Ukraine (1950-2019)

“…Moreover, Polupan et al (2019Polupan et al ( ) reported that in 2003Polupan et al ( , 2005Polupan et al ( , 2006Polupan et al ( , 2007Polupan et al ( , and 2008, over 2 000 rabies cases per year were recorded, 37% of which were found in foxes.…”

“…This contributed to a high number of rabies cases in dogs (over 19% of all rabies cases) and in cats (over 25% of all cases) in Ukraine. A particular problem was a large population of stray animals (Polupan et al, 2019).…”