Recent research highlights - July 2014

 

 

A list of recent research papers most relevant to GARC's mission.

 

 

Epidemiology and control

The changing landscape of rabies epidemiology and control. Recent understanding of rabies epidemiology helps to counteract misperceptions that hamper rabies control in Africa. 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.

Rabies and rabies virus in wildlife in mainland China, 1990-2013. Wildlife associated rabies has increased in recent years in China. Phylogenetic analysis showed that RABVs in the bat, Chinese ferret badger, and raccoon dog were distinct from local dog-originated RABVs, and suggest that wildlife reservoirs have been maintained through the ages.

Eliminating rabies in Tanzania? Local understandings and responses to mass dog vaccination in Kilombero and Ulanga districts. Community based interviews and surveys analysed the reasons for and problems affecting compliance in dog vaccination programmes. Top-down interventions need to more explicitly engage with project organisation, capacity and community participation.

Canine Rabies in Australia: A Review of Preparedness and Research Needs. The imminent risk of rabies breaching Australian borders makes understanding domestic and wild dog population dynamics important. Disease spread models to guide cost-effective surveillance, preventive strategy development and disease management protocols are urgently needed.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding rabies in Filipinos following implementation of the Bohol Rabies Prevention and Elimination Programme. The majority of households had heard of rabies (94%), however, only 18% knew to report a suspected rabid dog to the authorities. Having known someone with rabies had the greatest effect on knowledge scores (associated with higher practices scores) and employment had the greatest effect on attitudes scores.

Rabies in Europe: what are the risks? Rabies remains a serious endemic disease in animal populations in many European countries. The recurrence of rabies in some countries and importation of infected pets highlights the fragility of rabies-free country status and the need for continuous surveillance, but elimination of rabies in Europe is achievable.

One Health: past successes and future challenges in three African contexts. Three case studies (one on rabies) examine the international One Health dialogue and its practical implementation in Africa. There is no 'one size fits all' approach to achieving the intersectoral collaboration, significant resource mobilisation and political co-operation required to realise a One Health approach and individual country requirements cannot be underestimated, dismissed or prescribed in a top down manner.

Bat Rabies

Vampire bat rabies: ecology, epidemiology and control This review considers why the vampire bat is such an efficient vector for rabies, the current status of vampire-transmitted rabies and the future prospects for spread by this virus and its control.

Vampire bats and rabies: toward an ecological solution to a public health problem New and creative approaches are needed to address the problem of vampire bat–transmitted rabies in Amazonia. A focus on ecological Interventions and novel vaccine delivery methods may provide breakthroughs.

Economic evaluation of vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) rabies prevention in Mexico. Vampire bat rabies causes significant impacts within its endemic range in Mexico. We found that livestock vaccination is efficient, with benefits being over six times higher than costs. However, bat control is not cost effective

PEP

Feasibility of sustainable provision of intradermal post exposure prophylaxis against rabies at primary care level -evidence from rural Haryana. This study demonstrated a cost-effective and sustainable model of provision of PEP against rabies at the primary care level. Intradermal provision address the unmet need of animal bite management in the community and reduces out of pocket patient expenses.

Dog ecology

Participatory methods for the assessment of the ownership status of free-roaming dogs in Bali, Indonesia, for disease control and animal welfare. Participatory Rural Appraisal was implemented to obtain consensus on the food sources of free-roaming dogs. Results concluded that free-roaming dog populations were sustained only because of direct human support.

Advocacy

Neglected Zoonotic Diseases-The Long and Winding Road to Advocacy. The resolutions from all 66 World Health Assembly meetings were examined for a specific focus on eight NZDs. The 2013 adoption of Resolution WHA66.12 targeting all 17 NTDs marks a change in approach by the WHA, which will increase momentum to control NTDs. However, major NZDs remain outside this recent resolution.

Immunology A rapid one-step immunochromatographic test strip for rabies detection using canine serum samples. This test strip for detecting rabies antibody in canine serum can be read by eye and showed high specificity and sensitivity. It allows safe and quick detection for surveillance of the immunization status of potential targets in rabies-endemic regions.