Recent research – November 2015

A compilation of recent research publications relevant to GARC's mission

Rabies epidemiology

Epidemiology of rabies in Oman: a retrospective study (1991-2013). A total of 22,788 cases of animal bites were reported in Oman between 1991 and 2013, with 8 human rabies cases reported (mostly from wild animals) with 100% mortality. Of 758 suspected animals tested, 56.1% were positive for rabies, with foxes showing the highest positivity rate, or 70.1%.

Rabies Epidemiology and Control in Ecuador. In1996, Ecuador suffered the highest rate of rabies per capita in the Americas. Human and canine rabies fell sharply until 2012 due to massive canine vaccination campaigns, with a very high correlation (0.925) between annual cases of dog and human rabies. In 2011, a distinct viral strain originating in vampire bat populations led to 11 fatalities in the Amazon region.

Rabies Cases in the West of China Have Two Distinct Origins. In some areas, such asTibet, Qinghai, Gansu and Ningxia in western China cases have been rising since 2011. Analysis of samples collected from these regions suggests two different sources. Strains collected from Gansu and Ningxia are closely related to the viruses of the current epizootic, whereas those from Tibet and Qinghai are related to the Arctic-like-2 lineage that is most commonly associated with wildlife.

Government Response to the Discovery of a Rabies Virus Reservoir Species on a Previously Designated Rabies-Free Island, Taiwan, 1999-2014. From 2013 up to December 2014, there have been 423 rabies-confirmed ferret-badgers and three cases of spillover infection into non-reservoir hosts in Taiwan. The virus is genetically distinct from all other known rabies virus variants, and only one strain, sequestered to the mountainous regions, exists in Taiwan. Dogs and cats should be vaccinated to stop the spread of the disease from mountainous regions to domestic meso-carnivores.
 

Human PEP

Neutralizing Antibody Response after Intramuscular Purified Vero Cell Rabies Vaccination (PVRV) in Iranian Patients with Specific Medical Conditions. Patients with abnormal immune function due to chronic hepatitis B virus infection, lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis treatments and other medical conditions, could have impaired immunologic response to rabies vaccines. For the first time, this was tested in 30 healthy people and 50 patients with such medical conditions who had a type II or III exposures to a suspected rabid animal. Bote victims were vaccinated with the ESSEN protocol and PVRV vaccine, and blood samples showed that adequate levels of anti-rabies antibody were produced in all cases.
 

Vaccination of dogs

Recombinant rabies virus expressing dog GM-CSF is an efficacious oral rabies vaccine for dogs. To develop an effective oral rabies vaccine for dogs, a recombinant attenuated RABV expressing dog GM-CSF (LBNSE-dGM-CSF) was tested in a dog model. Significantly more DCs or B cells were activated and higher levels of virus neutralizing antibodies were detected in dogs immunized with LBNSE-dGM-CSF than with the parent virus, and all immunized dogs were protected against a lethal challenge with wild-type rabies virus.

Smartphone and GPS technology for free-roaming dog population surveillance - a methodological study. A new framework for estimating free roaming dog population sizes. It uses a topological algorithm, implemented as ArcScript in ESRI® ArcGIS software, to randomly select sampling areas and a mobile phone application for Android® devices which integrates Global Positioning System (GPS) and Google MapsTM, combined with a common counting method. The framework was tested in 2 Italian regions, and could help support dog population management systems

Population Dynamics of Owned, Free-Roaming Dogs: Implications for Rabies Control.  The entire owned dog population within a community in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa was monitored. Dog population birth and death rates varied over a 24-month period and population turnover was high. However, a simulation of population dynamics showed that a 70% vaccination coverage during annual campaigns would still maintain coverage above the critical threshold for rabies control for at least 12 months.
 

Educational interventions

A Randomized Trial Evaluating Child Dog-Bite Prevention in Rural China Through Video-Based Testimonials. A randomized controlled trial showed 280 school children an educational video of testimonials on either dog-bite prevention (treatment) or drowning prevention (comparison). Children who watched the video on dog-bite prevention had increased safety knowledge, higher perceived vulnerability to dog bites, and less risky simulated behaviors with dogs compared with the comparison group.