Proceedings

The changing landscape of rabies epidemiology and control

Sarah Cleaveland, Hawthorne Beyer, Katie Hampson, Daniel Haydon, Felix Lankester, Tiziana Lembo, Francois-Xavier Meslin, Michelle Morters, Zacharia Mtema, Maganga Sambo, Sunny Townsend
Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research | Vol 81, No 2 | a731 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v81i2.731 | © 2014 Sarah Cleaveland, Hawthorne Beyer, Katie Hampson, Daniel Haydon, Felix Lankester, Tiziana Lembo, Francois-Xavier Meslin, Michelle Morters, Zacharia Mtema, Maganga Sambo, Sunny Townsend | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 05 December 2013 | Published: 23 April 2014

About the author(s)

Sarah Cleaveland, Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland
Hawthorne Beyer, ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Australia
Katie Hampson, Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland and ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Australia
Daniel Haydon, Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland
Felix Lankester, Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland and Paul G. Allen School of Global Animal Health, Washington State University, United States and Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, United States
Tiziana Lembo, Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland
Francois-Xavier Meslin, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Michelle Morters, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Zacharia Mtema, Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow and ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Australia
Maganga Sambo, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania, United Republic of
Sunny Townsend, Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland

Abstract

Over the past 20 years, major progress has been made in our understanding of critical aspects of rabies epidemiology and control. This paper presents results of recent research, highlighting methodological advances that have been applied to burden of disease studies, rabies epidemiological modelling and rabies surveillance. These results contribute new insights and understanding with regard to the epidemiology of rabies and help to counteract misperceptions that currently hamper rabies control efforts in Africa. The conclusion of these analyses is that the elimination of canine rabies in Africa is feasible, even in wildlife-rich areas, through mass vaccination of domestic dogs and without the need for indiscriminate culling to reduce dog population density. Furthermore, the research provides valuable practical insights that support the operational planning and design of dog vaccination campaigns and rabies surveillance measures.


Keywords

Rabies; Epidemiology; Africa; Domestic Dog; Vaccination; Elimination; Disease Modelling

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Crossref Citations

1. Eliminating Dog-Mediated Rabies in Sikkim, India: A 10-Year Pathway to Success for the SARAH Program
Helen Byrnes, Andrea Britton, Thinlay Bhutia
Frontiers in Veterinary Science  vol: 4  year: 2017  
doi: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00028