Timing of reproduction and association with environmental factors in female free-roaming dogs in southern India

Fielding, Helen R.; Gibson, Andrew D; Gamble, Luke; Fernandes, Kerlane Alves; Airikkala-Otter, Ilona; Handel, Ian; Bronsvoort, Barend Mark de Clare; Mellanby, Richard J.; Mazeri, Stella

doi:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105249

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…In addition, since our study design included several study populations that were studies only once, we could not assess whether the season influenced contact patterns. Different from wildlife, FRDD—still controlled by humans—do not have clear mating and pup rearing seasons, although the cycles are not evenly distributed over the years, according to a study from India 70 . A longitudinal study would therefore be of interest, to investigate possible changes in dog contact networks over time and assess the impact of the season, weather and temperature on contact structure variation, as it was found to have an influence on FRDD home range size 30 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictors of free-roaming domestic dogs' contact network centrality and their relevance for rabies control

Warembourg

Fournié

Abakar

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Free roaming domestic dogs (FRDD) are the main vectors for rabies transmission to humans worldwide. To eradicate rabies from a dog population, current recommendations focus on random vaccination with at least 70% coverage. Studies suggest that targeting high-risk subpopulations could reduce the required vaccination coverage, and increase the likelihood of success of elimination campaigns. The centrality of a dog in a contact network can be used as a measure of its potential contribution to disease transmission. Our objectives were to investigate social networks of FRDD in eleven study sites in Chad, Guatemala, Indonesia and Uganda, and to identify characteristics of dogs, and their owners, associated with their centrality in the networks. In all study sites, networks had small-world properties and right-skewed degree distributions, suggesting that vaccinating highly connected dogs would be more effective than random vaccination. Dogs were more connected in rural than urban settings, and the likelihood of contacts was negatively correlated with the distance between dogs’ households. While heterogeneity in dog's connectedness was observed in all networks, factors predicting centrality and likelihood of contacts varied across networks and countries. We therefore hypothesize that the investigated dog and owner characteristics resulted in different contact patterns depending on the social, cultural and economic context. We suggest to invest into understanding of the sociocultural structures impacting dog ownership and thus driving dog ecology, a requirement to assess the potential of targeted vaccination in dog populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictors of free-roaming domestic dogs' contact network centrality and their relevance for rabies control

Warembourg

Fournié

Abakar

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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“…There seemed to be a seasonal trend in reported rabies cases, with a peak post-monsoon in the winter months. Several studies have shown peaks in breeding activity of dogs during the monsoon season, with high rates of congregation and aggression between animals (Chawla and Reece, 2002; Fielding et al, 2021; Pal, 2001). Incidences of rabies have also been correlated with this seasonal pattern in breeding, potentially due to greater movement of dogs and higher contact rates (Brookes et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A passive “OneHealth” surveillance system to track canine rabies in urban India

Vanak

Panchamiya

Banerjee

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Robust and widely implementable OneHealth surveillance systems are required to detect and control the spread of zoonotic infectious diseases. Using technological tools coupled with a rapid field response and rapid diagnostics can help in surveillance of deadly diseases such as rabies, even in densely populated urban areas. Here, we describe the use of an animal rescue system (Hawk Data Pro) that was adapted as a passive surveillance tool for rabies in a large metropolis in India. We used a webline and helpline that reported injured or sick animals to an animal rescue facility to determine possible rabies cases in street animals in Pune city in western India. Suspected rabid animals were tested using lateral flow assays and this information was used to direct awareness materials on rabies as well as in conducting mass dog vaccinations in areas that reported multiple cases. Over a ~4 year period, we received over 90,700 calls or reports, of which 1162 calls were for suspected rabies cases in dogs, and 6 for other animals (cats, goats and cattle). Of these, 749 dogs and 4 other animals tested positive for rabies. Most of the cases were reported from the densely human populated central Pune region. In response, ~21,000 people were provided with educational materials on post-bite management, and ~23,000 dogs were vaccinated. We show that the adoption of the Hawk Data Pro system as a passive surveillance tool allowed us to document an ongoing outbreak of rabies in a large metropolis in India. Such systems can be modified or adapted to other areas as well to meet the surveillance and reporting requirements of the WHO's Zeroby30 strategy to eliminate rabies globally.

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“…A recurrent dynamic revealed in HSI's street dog monitoring surveys is the seasonal fluctuation of street dog abundance when examined on a biannual survey cycle (1)-the result of apparent breeding seasonality in the street dog population. Elsewhere, seasonality of oestrus has been observed amongst free-roaming dog populations in the Indian settlements of Jodhpur (2), Jaipur (3), West Bengal (4), Katwa town (5), Kolkata (6), Goa and Tamil Nadu (7); however, other studies have asserted that this dynamic is not universal to free-roaming populations of the species (8), nor for many confined populations (9,10). Indeed, the reproductive cycle of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) has long been considered non-seasonal (11,12).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, the reproductive cycle of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) has long been considered non-seasonal (11,12). For an extensive summary of published analyses of free-roaming and confined dog breeding dynamics see (7).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, broader fluctuations in population abundance due to the effects of sterilization, methodological challenges and other factors mean that recurrent measures of dog abundance are not an accurate representation of population fluctuation with regard to breeding seasonality specifically. In order to further understand such dynamics, it is necessary to ascertain the relative proportions of reproductive indicators within the population on a monthly basis in order to reveal patterns of seasonal fluctuation-a methodology utilized previously by a number of researchers [e.g., (2,3,7,8)].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seasonal Patterns of Oestrus and Reproduction in Street Dogs of Indian Cities

et al. 2022

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Understanding seasonal breeding dynamics is essential for maximizing efficiency and welfare in the application of street dog management programs. Humane Society International (HSI) has conducted many animal birth control programmes concerning the street dog populations in urban India. This paper analyses the data on reproductive indicators—oestrus, pregnancy, and pups—collected by HSI sterilization clinics in the cities of Jamshedpur, Dehradun, and Vadodara over a period of 3, 5, and 4 years, respectively. We found a consistent reproductive seasonality dynamic in all three cities, with peak oestrus and pregnancies occurring in the late/post-monsoon season. Pup proportions peaked soon after. Both these findings are consistent with previous studies of free-roaming domestic dog populations both in India and worldwide. Additionally, we identified minor inter-city differences in the temporal breeding dynamic, which we propose are the result of localized seasonal climatic and human factors. Finally, we examine and assert the relevance of breeding seasonality in the implementation of efficient and welfare-sensitive birth control programmes.

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Timing of reproduction and association with environmental factors in female free-roaming dogs in southern India

Cited by 13 publications

References 35 publications

Predictors of free-roaming domestic dogs' contact network centrality and their relevance for rabies control

Predictors of free-roaming domestic dogs' contact network centrality and their relevance for rabies control

A passive “OneHealth” surveillance system to track canine rabies in urban India

Seasonal Patterns of Oestrus and Reproduction in Street Dogs of Indian Cities

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