Evaluation of rabies virus characterization to enhance early detection of important rabies epizootic events in the United States

Pieracci, Emily G.; Chipman, Richard B.; Morgan, Clint N.; Brown, Catherine; Kirby, Jordona D.; Blanton, Jesse D.; Velasco-Villa, Andrés; Martin, Ashlee; Nelson, Kathleen M.; Singh, Amber; LeMasters, Elizabeth; Weiner, Zachary P.; Wallace, Ryan M.

doi:10.2460/javma.256.1.66

Cited by 18 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…15 Maintenance of this DMRVV-free status requires regulations to moderate the importation of dogs from high-risk countries as well as systematic and actionable surveillance systems for dogs in which rabies is diagnosed in the US. 16,17 The NRSS has a goal of variant typing all rabid dogs in the US. In 2020, virus characterization of rabid dogs was significantly improved, but still only 60% of dog cases had the RVV reported to the NRSS.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2020

Bonaparte

Toro

et al. 2022

javma

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OBJECTIVE To provide epidemiological information on animal and human cases of rabies in the US during 2020 and summaries of 2020 rabies surveillance for Canada and Mexico. ANIMALS All animals submitted for laboratory diagnosis of rabies in the US during 2020. PROCEDURES State and territorial public health departments and USDA Wildlife Services provided 2020 rabies surveillance data. Data were analyzed temporally and geographically to assess trends in domestic and wildlife rabies cases. RESULTS During 2020, 54 jurisdictions submitted 87,895 animal samples for rabies testing, of which 85,483 (97.3%) had a conclusive (positive or negative) test result. Of these, 4,479 (5.2%) tested positive for rabies, representing a 4.5% decrease from the 4,690 cases reported in 2019. Texas (n = 580 [12.9%]), Pennsylvania (371 [8.3%]), Virginia (351 [7.8%]), New York (346 [7.7%]), North Carolina (301 [6.7%]), New Jersey (257 [5.7%]), Maryland (256 [5.7%]), and California (248 [5.5%]) together accounted for > 60% of all animal rabies cases reported in 2020. Of the total reported rabid animals, 4,090 (91.3%) involved wildlife, with raccoons (n = 1,403 [31.3%]), bats (1,400 [31.3%]), skunks (846 [18.9%]), and foxes (338 [7.5%]) representing the primary hosts confirmed with rabies. Rabid cats (288 [6.4%]), cattle (43 [1.0%]), and dogs (37 [0.8%]) accounted for 95% of rabies cases involving domestic animals in 2020. No human rabies cases were reported in 2020. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE For the first time since 2006, the number of samples submitted for rabies testing in the US was < 90,000; this is thought to be due to factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as similar decreases in sample submission were also reported by Canada and Mexico.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2020

Bonaparte

Toro

et al. 2022

javma

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“…In addition, the nature of the sample has been found to be an important factor that affects its usefulness for rabies detection [ 15 ]. For example, strange acting and animals found dead, along with public health samples, have proven to be a good source of information to monitor raccoon rabies when present [ 15 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. The development of a system aiming for an early detection of a potential incursion of ARVV in central and southern regions of Quebec would involve testing a larger number of animals in regions prioritised through this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prioritisation of areas for early detection of southward movement of arctic fox rabies based on historical surveillance data in Quebec, Canada

et al. 2020

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Arctic rabies virus variant (ARVV) is enzootic in Quebec (Canada) north of the 55th parallel. With climate change, increased risk of re-incursion of ARVV in more densely populated southern regions raises public and animal health concerns. The objective of this study was to prioritise geographical areas to target for an early detection of ARVV incursion south of the 55th parallel based on the historical spatio-temporal trends of reported rabies in foxes in Quebec. Descriptive analyses of fox rabies cases from 1953 to 2017 were conducted. Three periods show increases in the number of fox rabies cases in southern regions and indicate incursion from northern areas or neighbouring provinces. The available data, particularly in central and northern regions of the province, were scarce and of low spatial resolution, making it impossible to identify the path of spread with precision. Hence, we investigated the use of multiple criteria, such as historical rabies cases, human population density and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) relative abundance, to prioritise areas for enhanced surveillance. This study underscores the need to define and maintain new criteria for selecting samples to be analysed in order to detect rapidly ARVV cases outside the current enzootic area and any potential re-incursion of the virus into central and southern regions of the province.

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“…Terrestrial nonvolant mammal data were not included but underwent separate analysis. 27 The RSS data were reviewed to identify RABV-positive bat specimens for which virus characterization could help detect sentinel events in virus dissemination and dispersal. The 2 sentinel events of interest included the early detection of a host-shift event and translocation of a bat RABV variant or the introduction of an RABV variant to a new area.…”

Section: Sei Selection Criteriamentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of species identification and rabies virus characterization among bat rabies cases in the United States

Pieracci¹,

Brown²,

Bergman³

et al. 2020

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OBJECTIVETo evaluate species identification and rabies virus (RABV) characterization among samples from bats submitted for rabies testing in the United States and assess whether a standardized approach to specimen selection for RABV characterization could enhance detection of a sentinel event in virus dissemination among bats. SAMPLEUnited States public health rabies surveillance system data collected in January 2010 through December 2015. PROCEDURESThe number of rabies-tested bats for which species was reported and the number of RABV-positive samples for which virus characterization would likely provide information regarding introduction of novel RABV variants and translocation and host-shift events were calculated. These specimens were designated as specimens of epizootiological importance (SEIs). Additionally, the estimated test load that public health laboratories could expect if all SEIs underwent RABV characterization was determined. RESULTSSpecies was reported for 74,928 of 160,017 (47%) bats submitted for rabies testing. Identified SEIs were grouped in 3 subcategories, namely nonindigenous bats; bats in southern border states, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands; and bats of species that are not commonly found to be infected with RABV. Annually, 692 (95% CI, 600 to 784) SEIs were identified, of which only 295 (95% CI, 148 to 442) underwent virus characterization. Virus characterization of all SEIs would be expected to increase public health laboratories' overall test load by 397 (95% CI, 287 to 506) samples each year. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCESpecies identification and RABV characterization may aid detection of a sentinel event in bat RABV dissemination. With additional resources, RABV characterization of all SEIs as a standardized approach to testing could contribute to knowledge of circulating bat RABV variants.

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Evaluation of rabies virus characterization to enhance early detection of important rabies epizootic events in the United States

Cited by 18 publications

References 22 publications

Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2020

Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2020

Prioritisation of areas for early detection of southward movement of arctic fox rabies based on historical surveillance data in Quebec, Canada

Evaluation of species identification and rabies virus characterization among bat rabies cases in the United States

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