An evaluation of dog rabies control in Limpopo province (South Africa)

Sabeta, Claude; Mkhize, G. C.; Ngoepe, Ernest

doi:10.1017/s0950268811001233

Cited by 10 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…canine distemper may not be so prevalent in southern Africa. In fact, rabies was a major cause of death in Zimbabwe [43] and in the South African Limpopo province where also two thirds of submitted jackals tested positive for rabies [49]. A very high rate was also found for kudus (Table 2).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecology and epidemiology of rabies in humans, domestic animals and wildlife in Namibia, 2011-2017

Hikufe¹,

Freuling²,

Athingo³

et al. 2019

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease that causes a heavy burden on societies. Namibia, a country in southern Africa, is aiming at controlling the disease in its main reservoir, the domestic dog. To facilitate the implementation comprehensive information on the ecology and epidemiology of the disease and surveillance is of utmost importance. The study presented assesses the baseline data for both human and animal rabies surveillance in Namibia in recent times and establishes correlations with ecological and socio-economic data in order to provide an up-to-date picture on the epidemiology of rabies in Namibia. For instance, it was important to identify the main drivers in the epidemiology, and whether the control strategy by mass vaccination of dogs is undermined by cycles of rabies in wildlife. Rabies in humans was reported mainly from the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs), with a total of 113 cases from 2011 to 2017, representing an incidence of between 1.0 and 2.4 annual human rabies deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Kavango, the region with the highest human rabies incidence was also the region with the lowest animal rabies surveillance intensity. Generally, the vast majority (77%) of dog samples originated from communal farm land, followed by urban areas (17%), while only a small fraction (3%) was submitted from freehold farm areas. In contrast, kudu and eland submissions were almost exclusively from freehold farmland (76%) and urban areas (19%), whereas the submission of cattle samples was evenly distributed among freehold farms (46%) and communal farm land (46%). The likelihood of sample submission decreased exponentially with distance to one of the two laboratories. Overall, 67% (N = 1,907) of all samples submitted tested rabies-positive, with the highest positivity rate observed in kudus (89%) and jackals (87%). The transmission cycle of rabies in dogs appears restricted to the northern communal areas of Namibia, whilst rabies in wildlife species is predominately reported from farmland in central Namibia, mostly affecting kudu ( Tragelaphus strepsiceros) and livestock with a likely reservoir in wildlife canids such as jackals or bat-eared foxes. The analysis confirms the presence of two independent transmission cycles in Namibia with little geographic overlap, thus allowing for a sustainable control of rabies in dogs in the NCAs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecology and epidemiology of rabies in humans, domestic animals and wildlife in Namibia, 2011-2017

Hikufe¹,

Freuling²,

Athingo³

et al. 2019

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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“…18,26 Since 2004, the disease has emerged in locations where it was controlled before, as is evident by outbreaks in Vhembe district of Limpopo province, Ehlanzeni district of Mpumalanga province, the Bojanala Platinum district of North West province and the Botshabelo surroundings in Free State province. 27,28,29,30 In addition, a great number of outbreaks of dog rabies were reported in Soweto, Gauteng province, in 2010, marking the first report of sustained dog-to-dog transmission of the rabies virus in this province. 31 The locations described here are mostly densely populated, which further raises the concerns of the possibility of the human rabies cases occurring considering the close association of dog rabies outbreaks and human cases.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A dog bite study in a dog rabies-affected area in South Africa

Weyer¹,

Roux

Kajese

et al. 2020

Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases

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Background: Rabies is an untreatable and highly fatal viral zoonosis. Despite the ability to control and prevent the disease, it is estimated that one person dies of rabies every 10 minutes in developing countries. However, the true burden of the disease remains undefined in most developing countries because of a lack of systematic surveillance. Dog bite data obtained from healthcare facilities where dog bite victims seek medical care may provide an additional source of information that can be used to inform the burden of disease and identify points for interventions for improved delivery of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent the disease.Methods: A descriptive epidemiological study was conducted using data obtained from dog bite registers and patient case files at a healthcare facility for a two year period (2015-2017).Results: The study reported frequency, demographics, source, geographic and temporal distribution of bite cases reported to a hospital serving a rabies-affected community. In addition, the post-exposure management of dog bite cases at this facility is described.Conclusion: Dog bites was not an infrequently reported at the healthcare facility, with up to 29 cases reported in a month during the study period. The affected population was defined and it is motivated that this information is useful for targeted health interventions. Findings related to the delivery of PEP may also be used to direct training and re-training of healthcare workers for improved delivery of PEP.

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“…In Zimbabwe, the first reported cases of rabies occurred in 1902 (38). Dog rabies is now widespread throughout Africa wherever there are dog populations of sufficient density, except in certain areas of sub-Saharan Africa, where rabies is maintained in specific carnivorous wildlife species (41,44,45,46,47). The advent of molecular epidemiology and virus-typing techniques in the early 1980s demonstrated that the establishment of rabies among wild carnivores was one of the most significant consequences of the long-term maintenance of rabies cycles (38,44,45,48,49,50).…”

Section: History Of Rabies In Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Controlling dog rabies in Africa: successes, failures and prospects for the future

Sabeta¹,

Ngoepe²

2018

Rev. Sci. Tech. OIE

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Rabies is an acute and progressive encephalitis caused by lyssaviruses (family Rhabdoviridae, order Mononegavirales). Approximately 99% of the estimated 59,000 annual human rabies deaths in Africa and Asia are attributed to dog bites and are preventable through parenteral dog vaccination. In addition to dog rabies, the rabies virus also circulates in wildlife carnivores in southern Africa and virus exchange occurs readily across species barriers. In the early 1900s, rabies outbreaks were brought under control by the restriction of animal movements and by killing stray dogs. Subsequently, the disease was effectively controlled through vaccination. One prerequisite for rabies control is a thorough knowledge of dog populations. In Africa, only a few mass dog vaccination campaigns have reached the 70% coverage believed to minimise the spread of the disease. Live attenuated vaccines, such as SAG-2, used to control fox rabies in Europe, are safe for nontarget species, making oral vaccination an appealing complementary approach for dog rabies control in Africa. The success of rabies control in KwaZulu/Natal (South Africa) and Serengeti (Tanzania) is an excellent example of how publicprivate partnerships (PPPs) can contribute to the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies in Africa by 2030. Such PPPs are pivotal and will enhance public health awareness, promote mass dog vaccinations and improve accessibility to post-exposure prophylaxis.

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An evaluation of dog rabies control in Limpopo province (South Africa)

Cited by 10 publications

References 5 publications

Ecology and epidemiology of rabies in humans, domestic animals and wildlife in Namibia, 2011-2017

Ecology and epidemiology of rabies in humans, domestic animals and wildlife in Namibia, 2011-2017

A dog bite study in a dog rabies-affected area in South Africa

Controlling dog rabies in Africa: successes, failures and prospects for the future

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