Abstract:Community perspectives are rarely sought or integrated into dog management policy and practice. Dog management in remote communities in Australia has focused on reducing the number of dogs, which is often implemented by visiting veterinarians, despite widely-held opinions that fly-in-fly-out services provide only temporary solutions. We conducted participatory research in a group of remote communities in northern Australia to explore how dog-related problems arise and are managed, and explain their impacts fro… Show more
“…Such models can be used as decision-support systems, for example, to determine how to best use vaccination, should an incursion occur [ 91 , 92 ]. The output from models creates an opportunity to engage local communities in the process of designing preparedness policy that considers community values [ 93 ], such as how domestic dogs are managed versus how a disease outbreak response might be operationalized [ 94 ••, 95 ]. This recent research in northern Australia has contributed significantly towards the cycle of preparedness planning and response [ 96 ].…”
Section: Australiamentioning
confidence: 99%
“…While such programs, driven particularly with foreign assistance, offer the potential for major impact, they are not sustainable without local support. Focusing primarily upon recent literature from the past 5 years [ 1 – 5 , 6 •, 7 – 14 , 15 •, 16 – 24 , 25 •, 26 – 30 , 31 •, 32 •, 33 •, 34 – 51 , 52 •, 53 , 54 •, 55 – 62 , 63 ••, 64 – 66 , 67 •, 68 , 69 ••, 70 – 83 , 84 •, 85 , 86 •, 87 •, 88 ••, 89 , 90 •, 91 – 93 , 94 ••, 95 – 100 ], the objective of this communication is to provide an update on rabies in the tropics (narrowly defined as those geographic regions between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) and progress in human and animal case reduction towards the goal of “Zero by Thirty” (ZBT). Fig.…”
Purpose of Review
Rabies is an ancient yet still neglected tropical disease (NTD). This review focuses upon highlights of recent research and peer-reviewed communications on the underestimated tropical burden of disease and its management due to the complicated dynamics of virulent viral species, diverse mammalian reservoirs, and tens of millions of exposed humans and animals – and how laboratory-based surveillance at each level informs upon pathogen spread and risks of transmission, for targeted prevention and control.
Recent Findings
While both human and rabies animal cases in enzootic areas over the past 5 years were reported to PAHO/WHO and OIE by member countries, still there is a huge gap between these “official” data and the need for enhanced surveillance efforts to meet global program goals.
Summary
A review of the complex aspects of rabies perpetuation in human, domestic animal, and wildlife communities, coupled with a high fatality rate despite the existence of efficacious biologics (but no therapeutics), warrants the need for a One Health approach toward detection via improved laboratory-based surveillance, with focal management at the viral source. More effective methods to prevent the spread of rabies from enzootic to free zones are needed.
“…Such models can be used as decision-support systems, for example, to determine how to best use vaccination, should an incursion occur [ 91 , 92 ]. The output from models creates an opportunity to engage local communities in the process of designing preparedness policy that considers community values [ 93 ], such as how domestic dogs are managed versus how a disease outbreak response might be operationalized [ 94 ••, 95 ]. This recent research in northern Australia has contributed significantly towards the cycle of preparedness planning and response [ 96 ].…”
Section: Australiamentioning
confidence: 99%
“…While such programs, driven particularly with foreign assistance, offer the potential for major impact, they are not sustainable without local support. Focusing primarily upon recent literature from the past 5 years [ 1 – 5 , 6 •, 7 – 14 , 15 •, 16 – 24 , 25 •, 26 – 30 , 31 •, 32 •, 33 •, 34 – 51 , 52 •, 53 , 54 •, 55 – 62 , 63 ••, 64 – 66 , 67 •, 68 , 69 ••, 70 – 83 , 84 •, 85 , 86 •, 87 •, 88 ••, 89 , 90 •, 91 – 93 , 94 ••, 95 – 100 ], the objective of this communication is to provide an update on rabies in the tropics (narrowly defined as those geographic regions between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) and progress in human and animal case reduction towards the goal of “Zero by Thirty” (ZBT). Fig.…”
Purpose of Review
Rabies is an ancient yet still neglected tropical disease (NTD). This review focuses upon highlights of recent research and peer-reviewed communications on the underestimated tropical burden of disease and its management due to the complicated dynamics of virulent viral species, diverse mammalian reservoirs, and tens of millions of exposed humans and animals – and how laboratory-based surveillance at each level informs upon pathogen spread and risks of transmission, for targeted prevention and control.
Recent Findings
While both human and rabies animal cases in enzootic areas over the past 5 years were reported to PAHO/WHO and OIE by member countries, still there is a huge gap between these “official” data and the need for enhanced surveillance efforts to meet global program goals.
Summary
A review of the complex aspects of rabies perpetuation in human, domestic animal, and wildlife communities, coupled with a high fatality rate despite the existence of efficacious biologics (but no therapeutics), warrants the need for a One Health approach toward detection via improved laboratory-based surveillance, with focal management at the viral source. More effective methods to prevent the spread of rabies from enzootic to free zones are needed.
“…In a study in remote Australia, the community members' perceptions about dog conflicts were documented, and the researchers found that they were not as interested in how many dogs there were. Rather, community members sought a balance between the services that the FRDs provided to their community (i.e., protection) and the negative public health effects, including bites and attacks on humans, zoonoses, and poor community hygiene due to dog feces and garbage [48]. This highlights the importance of preliminary consultation with the public to elucidate the problems and then select appropriate solutions based on the local need.…”
Section: Ptrac Designmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…In fact, in a study in remote Australia, it was found that survey respondents were loath to confront their neighbors or call the enforcement department regarding dog-related complaints, and instead chose a "weary acceptance and passive resentment" that tended to create underlying social tensions in the neighborhood [48]. In the case of the Chilean government, they seem to rely on this passive type of enforcement, or in other words, relying on community members to report observed infractions to the authorities, rather than having enforcement officers actively patrolling neighborhoods and delivering fines to offenders.…”
Section: Identification and Registrationmentioning
Free-roaming dogs are a worldwide problem, with Chile having some of the highest human-to-dog ratios in the world. In 2017, Law 21.020 was promulgated and the federal government developed a national responsible pet ownership program. The objectives of this article are to describe and discuss the dog-related components of the program, to design a tool for determining human-to-dog ratios in Chile, and to make recommendations to managers to improve the program outcomes. The overarching goal of the program was to mitigate the conflict between humans and dogs, but many of the interventions were animal-focused and the indicators did not consider the perception of the Chilean public. Using human density data and known dog populations, we found that as the human density increased, there were fewer dogs per person. Veterinary services and sterilizations were the mainstay of the program and were offered for free to citizens. Education was offered to all ages through public events, as well as municipality and organization activities. The identification of dogs was obligatory for dog owners. Enforcement was not included in the program. The recommendations are to conduct preintervention baseline data collections and to tailor interventions and indicators appropriately; to use dog population size estimates determined at the local level rather than a country-wide estimate; to replace free veterinary services with low-cost sterilization campaigns; to create sustainable plans for education; and to create enforcement teams in communities.
“…The major component of municipal solid waste (MSW) is organic biodegradable waste (70%) that serves as a source of food to free-roaming dogs, thereby attracting these dogs in the densely populated urban slums [33]. The hunger stricken dogs compete for food, and associated aggression among these dogs also endangers local inhabitants and significantly increases the threat of rabies transmission to humans [34]. Proper management of waste in the streets is essential as part of a holistic strategy to minimize free-roaming dog populations as an animal welfare consideration and in support of rabies control [35].…”
Section: Urbanization and Solid Waste And Their Relation To Dog Population Growthmentioning
Despite being vaccine preventable, the global burden of dog rabies remains significant, and historically it is the rural and marginalized communities in developing countries of Africa and Asia that are most threatened by the disease. In recent years, the developing world has been experiencing unprecedented increases in urbanization, with a correspondingly massive increase in municipal solid waste generation, among other things. Inefficient and inadequate waste collection and management, due to lack of resources and planning, led to significant increases in the volumes of waste on the streets and in open dumps, where it serves as food sources for free-roaming dogs. In this commentary, we discuss examples of poor waste management and the likely impact on rabies control efforts through the sustenance of free-roaming dogs in some dog rabies-endemic countries. We aim to stress the importance of implementing strategies that effectively address this particular issue as an important component of humane dog population management, as it relates to aspirations for the control and elimination of dog rabies per se.
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