The importance of individual animal species in rabies virus transport in the Central federal district

Abstract

The Rabies – a viral disease characterized by severe damage of the nervous system. The analysis of data from the Rospotrebnadzor for 4 years (from 2015 to 2018) on the varmint of animals with rabies in four regions of the Central Federal District with different population densities is carried out. The main carriers of rabies virus in the region are the red fox, raccoon dog, stray dogs and cats; the role of other species is not so significant and rarely exceeds 1% of the total number of animals with suspected rabies. It has been established that in areas with a low population (Tver region) the role of a raccoon dog in rabies transfer can be even more significant than red foxes. To reduce the incidence of human rabies, constant monitoring and regulation of the numbers of foxes and raccoon dogs in the wild, as well as stray dogs and cats, is highly required. Consequently, we consider the current tendency to remove stray dogs from their habitats, their sterilization and return to urbocenosis insufficient; sterilized dogs will remain a source of rabies in populated locations.