Of love and other demons: depicting human rabies in Colombia

Tierradentro-García, Luis Octavio; Cortés-Albornoz, María Camila; Talero-Gutiérrez, Claudia

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09703

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…The departments of Antioquia, Arauca, Casanare, Cesar, Magdalena and Córdoba continue to be the first places in the territories with the highest number of rabies cases, which in turn has represented multiple public health problems when the virus comes into contact with urban reservoirs such as dogs and cats that do not have an adequate vaccination plan to prevents the virus from reaching a susceptible host. Therefore, although there have not been a large number of human rabies cases in Colombia, it is of great importance to carry out epidemiological surveillance in the departments above, which report the highest incidence, to help reduce the death of human beings due to this lethal virus, mainly because is still causing human disease in the country [35,36]. Geographical information systems are also valuable for mapping rabies in different populations, as shown in this study [37].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping the Spatiotemporal Distribution of Bovine Rabies in Colombia, 2005–2019

et al. 2022

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Introduction: Rabies is caused by a virus belonging to the genus Lyssavirus and family Rhabdoviridae, which can infect any mammal including humans. Hematophagous, fructivorous, and insectivorous bats have become the main reservoir of sylvatic rabies in Latin America. In the sylvatic cycle, hematophagous bats are usually the main reservoir. In contrast, dogs and cats fulfil this critical role in the urban cycle. However, in rural areas, the most affected animals are bovines. They show clinical signs such as behavioural changes, hypersalivation, muscle tremors, spasms caused by extensive damage to the central nervous system, and death from respiratory paralysis. Objective: To describe the spatiotemporal distribution of bovine rabies in Colombia from 2005 to 2019. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional descriptive observational study, based on the monthly reports of the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) on the surveillance of bovine rabies in Colombia from 2005 to 2019, retrieved from its official website. The data were converted to databases in Microsoft Access 365®. Multiple epidemiological maps were developed with the GIS software Kosmo RC1® 3.0 coupled to the shape files (.shp) of all the country’s municipalities. Results: During the study period, 4888 cases of rabies were confirmed in cattle, ranging from a peak of 542 cases (11.1%) in 2014 to 43 in 2019 (0.88%). From 2014 to 2019, there has been a significant reduction in the annual national number of cases (r2 = 0.9509, p < 0.05). In 2019, 32.6% of the cases occurred in January, and 48.8% occurred in the department of Sucre. In 2009, the maximum number of spatial clusters (13) occurred in the Orinoquia region, where other clusters were also identified in 2005, 2006 and 2008. In 2018, 98 outbreaks were identified that led to the death of cattle and other animals, 28.6% of them in the department of Sucre. In the first half of 2019, of 38 outbreaks, 55.2% were identified in Sucre. Conclusions: It is necessary to review the current national program for the prevention and control of rabies in cattle, incorporating concepts from the ecology of bats, as well as the prediction of contagion waves of geographical and temporal spread in the context of the OneHealth Approach. Sylvatic rabies remains a threat in Colombia that requires further study.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping the Spatiotemporal Distribution of Bovine Rabies in Colombia, 2005–2019

et al. 2022

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“…Dog have been historically considered as the main source of human rabies worldwide. Nevertheless, cats ( Felis catus ) are also a relevant species in rabies epidemiology (Tierradentro‐García et al., 2022). The predatory and nocturnal behaviour of cats facilitates their direct contact with bats and their role as pets facilitates zoonotic transmission (Grisi‐Filho et al., 2008) (Figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human cat borne rabies as the new epidemiology of the disease in the Andes mountains

Meriño‐Olivella,

del Pilar Sánchez‐Bonilla,

Escobar

et al. 2024

Zoonoses and Public Health

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BackgroundRabies virus (RABV) is the etiologic agent of rabies, a fatal brain disease in mammals. Rabies circulation has historically involved the dog has the main source of human rabies worldwide. Nevertheless, in Colombia, cats (Felis catus) have become a relevant species in the epidemiology of rabies.AimsTo characterize rabies cases in humans in Colombia in the last three decades in the context of the epidemiology of the aggressor animal.Materials and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective longitudinal epidemiological study of human rabies caused by cats’ aggression, collecting primary and secondary information. Variables considered included the demography of the patient, symptoms, information about the aggressor animal as the source of infection and the viral variant identified.ResultsWe found that the distribution of rabies incidence over the years has been constant in Colombia. Nevertheless, between 2003 and 2012 a peak of cases occurred in rural Colombia where cats were the most frequent aggressor animal reported. Most cats involved in aggression were unvaccinated against rabies. Cat's clinical signs at the time of the report of the human cases included hypersalivation and changes in behaviour. Human patients were mostly children and female and the exposure primarily corresponded to bite and puncture lacerations in hands. The RABV lineage detected in most cases corresponded to variant 3, linked to the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus). The geographical presentation of cat borne RABV in humans occurred along the Andes mountains, epidemiologically known as the rabies red Andean corridor.DiscussionBy finding cats as the primary source of rabies spillover transmission in Colombia, this report highlights the importance of revising national rabies control and prevention protocol in countries in the Andes region.ConclusionOur results demonstrate that rabies vaccination for outdoor cats needs to prioritize to reduce the number of rabies‐related human deaths.

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“…According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), 59,000 people worldwide pass away from rabies each year, with Asia accounting for 60% of those deaths ( Pieracci et al , 2019 ). This indicates that a rabies-related fatality occurs every 20 minutes and the majority of those affected are children ( Tierradentro-García et al , 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking lethal threat: In-depth review of rabies

Khairullah,

Kurniawan,

Hasib

et al. 2023

Open Vet J

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An infectious disease known as rabies (family Rhabdoviridae, genus Lyssavirus) causes severe damage to mammals’ central nervous systems (CNS). This illness has been around for a very long time. The majority of human cases of rabies take place in underdeveloped regions of Africa and Asia. Following viral transmission, the Rhabdovirus enters the peripheral nervous system and proceeds to the CNS, where it targets the encephalon and produces encephalomyelitis. Postbite prophylaxis requires laboratory confirmation of rabies in both people and animals. All warm-blooded animals can transmit the Lyssavirus infection, while the virus can also develop in the cells of cold-blooded animals. In the 21st century, more than 3 billion people are in danger of contracting the rabies virus in more than 100 different nations, resulting in an annual death toll of 50,000–59,000. There are three important elements in handling rabies disease in post exposure prophylaxis (PEP), namely wound care, administration of anti-rabies serum, and anti-rabies vaccine. Social costs include death, lost productivity as a result of early death, illness as a result of vaccination side effects, and the psychological toll that exposure to these deadly diseases has on people. Humans are most frequently exposed to canine rabies, especially youngsters and the poor, and there are few resources available to treat or prevent exposure, making prevention of human rabies challenging.

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Of love and other demons: depicting human rabies in Colombia

Cited by 6 publications

References 76 publications

Mapping the Spatiotemporal Distribution of Bovine Rabies in Colombia, 2005–2019

Mapping the Spatiotemporal Distribution of Bovine Rabies in Colombia, 2005–2019

Human cat borne rabies as the new epidemiology of the disease in the Andes mountains

Tracking lethal threat: In-depth review of rabies

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