Time series analysis and mortality model of dog bite victims presented for treatment at a referral clinic for rabies exposure in Monrovia, Liberia, 2010–2013

Molecular detection of rabies virus strain with N-gene that clustered with China lineage 2 co-circulating with Africa lineages in Monrovia, Liberia: first reported case in Africa

“…Periodic evaluation of the rabies status of many developing world countries such as Liberia is hampered by misdiagnosis, under-reporting, poor surveillance and unreliable data gathering at the local level [5]. However, with the emergence of Rabies in West Africa (RIWA) forum [6], there has been an increase in scientific studies and reports on rabies at the human–animal interface at various locations in Liberia, including Lofa County in the north, Bong County in the north-central and Grand Bassa County in the west-central region of the country [3], and also in Montserrado County, home to Monrovia the political capital of the country in the northwest region [4].…”

“…The high incidence of DTHR cases in Liberia has been attributed to poor vaccination coverage of owned dogs, the large population of stray dogs in urban areas, weak enforcement of dog control laws and difficulties in the cold-chain maintenance of vaccines in the post-conflict era [4]. Other factors include poor health care-seeking behaviour of DBVs, the high cost of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, and a tendency of some DBVs to seek indigenous rather than orthodox healthcare [4].…”

“…The high incidence of DTHR cases in Liberia has been attributed to poor vaccination coverage of owned dogs, the large population of stray dogs in urban areas, weak enforcement of dog control laws and difficulties in the cold-chain maintenance of vaccines in the post-conflict era [4]. Other factors include poor health care-seeking behaviour of DBVs, the high cost of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, and a tendency of some DBVs to seek indigenous rather than orthodox healthcare [4]. While it is known that rabies is caused by all the 16 virus species currently listed under the order Mononegavirales, family Rhabdoviridae and genus Lyssavirus (bullet-shaped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses), [7] little has been done to characterise those that are in circulation in Liberia.…”

Improving dog bite victim survey and estimation of annual human deaths due to suspected rabies cases in three selected Liberian cities and environs, 2008–2017

“…An in-country assessment of Stepwise Action for Rabies Elimination (SARE) protocol was conducted in Liberia in 2018 with a score of 1.5 out of 5 ascribed to the country, indicating that the foundational requirements for developing a national rabies control program has been put in place [1]. Despite this development, the true load of dog bite victims (DBVs) and annual human deaths due to rabies were not known for all, but Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia [2]. The lack of cold facts about the true load of rabies deaths in the country makes the goal of its elimination by 2030 less certain.…”

“…Based on a recent report of co-circulation of African and Asian lineages of rabies virus in Liberia [6], the epidemiology of rabies in the country might also be undergoing significant changes. The current situation of rabies in Liberia therefore demands more effective One Health action geared towards improving surveillance of DBVs and control of the disease at the human-animal interface, with smart allocation of scarce resources [2,6,7]. In order to address the critical aspect of under-reporting of DBVs associated with care-seeking preferences [8,9], this study was designed to determine the true prevalence of dog bite victims and annual human deaths due to suspected rabies in three selected cities in Liberia, namely Buchanan, Gbarnga and Voinjama.…”