Re-Emergence of Dog Rabies in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Mkhize, G. C.; Ngoepe, Ernest; Plessis, Ben J.A. Du; Reininghaus, Bjorn; Sabeta, Claude

doi:10.1089/vbz.2009.0109

Cited by 17 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…There are no private veterinary services in the study area. The provincial state veterinary services have strengthened regular dog rabies vaccination campaigns since the disease re-emerged in Bushbuckridge in 2008, after a long period of apparent absence [ 22 ]. In addition to the veterinary services provided by the state, the animal health needs of the community in Hluvukani and the surrounding areas are also met at a subsidised rate by the Hluvukani Animal Clinic, located in the centre of Hluvukani and run by the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Pretoria (UP).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population Dynamics of Owned, Free-Roaming Dogs: Implications for Rabies Control

et al. 2015

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BackgroundRabies is a serious yet neglected public health threat in resource-limited communities in Africa, where the virus is maintained in populations of owned, free-roaming domestic dogs. Rabies elimination can be achieved through the mass vaccination of dogs, but maintaining the critical threshold of vaccination coverage for herd immunity in these populations is hampered by their rapid turnover. Knowledge of the population dynamics of free-roaming dog populations can inform effective planning and implementation of mass dog vaccination campaigns to control rabies.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe implemented a health and demographic surveillance system in dogs that monitored the entire owned dog population within a defined geographic area in a community in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. We quantified demographic rates over a 24-month period, from 1st January 2012 through 1st January 2014, and assessed their implications for rabies control by simulating the decline in vaccination coverage over time. During this period, the population declined by 10%. Annual population growth rates were +18.6% in 2012 and -24.5% in 2013. Crude annual birth rates (per 1,000 dog-years of observation) were 451 in 2012 and 313 in 2013. Crude annual death rates were 406 in 2012 and 568 in 2013. Females suffered a significantly higher mortality rate in 2013 than males (mortality rate ratio [MRR] = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.28–1.85). In the age class 0–3 months, the mortality rate of dogs vaccinated against rabies was significantly lower than that of unvaccinated dogs (2012: MRR = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.05–0.21; 2013: MRR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.11–0.69). The results of the simulation showed that achieving a 70% vaccination coverage during annual campaigns would maintain coverage above the critical threshold for at least 12 months.Conclusions and SignificanceOur findings provide an evidence base for the World Health Organization’s empirically-derived target of 70% vaccination coverage during annual campaigns. Achieving this will be effective even in highly dynamic populations with extremely high growth rates and rapid turnover. This increases confidence in the feasibility of dog rabies elimination in Africa through mass vaccination.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population Dynamics of Owned, Free-Roaming Dogs: Implications for Rabies Control

et al. 2015

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“…To date, the only molecular epidemiological study to include isolates from Mozambique was an investigation focused on the genetic relatedness of RABV isolates in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. In that study, nucleotide sequences of two RABV isolates from Mozambique were compared to RABV sequences from Mpumalanga province and were delineated into a distinct cluster (Mkhize et al 2010 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced diagnosis of rabies and molecular evidence for the transboundary spread of the disease in Mozambique

Coetzer

Anahory²,

Dias³

et al. 2017

J. S. Afr. Vet. Assoc.

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Rabies is a neglected zoonotic disease with veterinary and public health significance, particularly in Africa and Asia. The current knowledge of the epidemiology of rabies in Mozambique is limited because of inadequate sample submission, constrained diagnostic capabilities and a lack of molecular epidemiological research. We wanted to consider the direct, rapid immunohistochemical test (DRIT) as an alternative to the direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) for rabies diagnosis at the diagnostic laboratory of the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL), Directorate of Animal Science, Maputo, Mozambique. Towards this aim, as a training exercise at the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Rabies Reference Laboratory in South Africa, we performed the DRIT on 29 rabies samples from across Mozambique. With the use of the DRIT, we found 15 of the 29 samples (52%) to be negative. The DRIT-negative samples were retested by DFA at the OIE Rabies Reference Laboratory, as well as with an established real-time Polymerase chain reaction, confirming the DRIT-negative results. The DRIT-positive results (14/29) were retested with the DFA and subsequently amplified, sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analyses, confirming the presence of rabies RNA. Molecular epidemiological analyses that included viruses from neighbouring countries suggested that rabies cycles within Mozambique might be implicated in multiple instances of cross-border transmission. In this regard, our study has provided new insights that should be helpful in informing the next steps required to better diagnose, control and hopefully eliminate rabies in Mozambique.

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“…In another study, dog brain tissue samples were collected from the Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces and investigated for rabies infection using RNA extraction followed by reverse-transcription PCR and sequencing. The phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the virus sequences obtained from the Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces shared a common origin [273]. Interestingly, rabies from dogs has been transmitted to wild canids, including the species of jackal and foxes [274].…”

Section: South Africamentioning

confidence: 70%

Systematic Review of Important Viral Diseases in Africa in Light of the ‘One Health’ Concept

et al. 2020

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Emerging and re-emerging viral diseases are of great public health concern. The recent emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) related coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in December 2019 in China, which causes COVID-19 disease in humans, and its current spread to several countries, leading to the first pandemic in history to be caused by a coronavirus, highlights the significance of zoonotic viral diseases. Rift Valley fever, rabies, West Nile, chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Ebola, and influenza viruses among many other viruses have been reported from different African countries. The paucity of information, lack of knowledge, limited resources, and climate change, coupled with cultural traditions make the African continent a hotspot for vector-borne and zoonotic viral diseases, which may spread globally. Currently, there is no information available on the status of virus diseases in Africa. This systematic review highlights the available information about viral diseases, including zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, reported in Africa. The findings will help us understand the trend of emerging and re-emerging virus diseases within the African continent. The findings recommend active surveillance of viral diseases and strict implementation of One Health measures in Africa to improve human public health and reduce the possibility of potential pandemics due to zoonotic viruses.

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Re-Emergence of Dog Rabies in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Cited by 17 publications

References 10 publications

Population Dynamics of Owned, Free-Roaming Dogs: Implications for Rabies Control

Population Dynamics of Owned, Free-Roaming Dogs: Implications for Rabies Control

Enhanced diagnosis of rabies and molecular evidence for the transboundary spread of the disease in Mozambique

Systematic Review of Important Viral Diseases in Africa in Light of the ‘One Health’ Concept

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