Geographic distribution of laboratory-confirmed cases of rabies in domestic and wild animals based on passive surveillance records in Uganda: 2015-2022

Abstract

Background In Uganda, data regarding rabies outbreaks are acquired through passive surveillance. However, this surveillance system is associated with challenges such as limited case reporting and logistical gaps, leading to reduced sample submission for the positive diagnostic to the national reference veterinary laboratory. Although the dog is a main transmitter of rabies virus in low- and medium-income countries, wildlife reservoirs (e.g., mongoose, jackals, foxes) can potentially spread the virus to livestock and human populations in Uganda. The present study aims to evaluate rabies virus circulation in livestock, domestic dogs, and wild carnivores, and to identify the distribution of positive cases following rabies outbreaks from 2015-2022 in Uganda. Methods Seventy-three (73) brain specimens from suspected rabies cases in livestock, domestic animals, and wild carnivores from different districts of Uganda were submitted to the National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Center for testing and analysis. Samples were subjected to two tests: the rapid rabies antigen detection test and the direct fluorescent antibody test, which is the gold standard for rabies diagnosis. Results Out of 73 samples, 50 tested positive (68.5%). Dogs were the species displaying the globally highest positivity (42%), followed by cattle (24%), goats (20%), and wild carnivores (10%). Of the 21 dogs tested, 15 were stray dogs (30%). Most of the cases were found in the Busia district (14%), followed by Arua district (10%) and Mukono district (10%). Our data demonstrated that the rabies virus is actively circulating in domestic and wild animal populations in several regions of Uganda and remains a high risk to human and animal health. Conclusions The correlation found between the number of samples submitted and the number of positive results shows the accuracy (more than one in two cases) of the diagnosis of suspected rabies in the animals sampled. Robust and widely implementable One Health surveillance systems are required to detect and control the spread of zoonotic infectious diseases. Encouragement of the concerned actors to use efficient diagnostic technology coupled with a rapid field response is needed to improve the surveillance of deadly zoonosis such as rabies.

Households neighboring wildlife protected areas may be at a higher risk of rabies than those located further away: a community-based cross-sectional cohort study at Pian Upe game reserve, Bukedea district, Eastern Uganda

“…We also think that the elevated figures of mortality are due to risk-based sampling carried out in our study, since we expect more rabies cases at the wildlife-dog-livestockhuman interface. Furthermore, our findings for livestock did not agree with the study by Omodo et al (9), which reported lower incidence of rabies in cattle and goats using laboratory specimens collected between 2015-2022 in Uganda. The discrepancy could Incidence of rabies by distance to the Pian Upe Game Reserve in Bukedea district, Eastern Uganda.…”

“…The discrepancy could Incidence of rabies by distance to the Pian Upe Game Reserve in Bukedea district, Eastern Uganda. have been brought about by differences in geographical areas, given that they picked scattered regions in the country where the risk of rabies varied greatly (9). In this study, 3% (n=9) of households reported co-occurrence of rabies in humans, livestock, and dogs.…”

“…A meta-analysis by Wobessi et al reports misrepresented incidence of rabies in Africa for exposed humans, dogs and other species as 83.4%, 44.1% and 33.8%, respectively, and the prevalence as 33.8%, 19.8% and 3.6% (8). In Uganda, the prevalence has been over-estimated to be 78.9%, 66.7% and 84.6% by Omodo et al (9) in dogs, jackals and livestock (goats, sheep, and cows), respectively (9). The exact statistics on rabies prevalence among humans in Uganda is lacking.…”