Rabies_en_abstr_24

Rabies Overview

Author: Tadeusz Frymus, 2024Intended Audience: 5th year students of the Faculty of Veterinary MedicineCopyright Notice: Document is protected under Polish copyright law and is for educational purposes only.

Page 2: Rabies in the World

• Global Issue

  • Despite effective vaccines for over 100 years, rabies remains a worldwide problem.

  • Only a few isolated regions, primarily islands, are rabies-free.

Page 3: Rabies Statistics

• Human Impact

  • Over 55,000 deaths annually due to rabies.

  • Economic burden estimated at $3 billion per year.

  • A child dies from rabies every 10 minutes.

• Animal Reservoirs

  • In tropical regions, dogs are the primary reservoir.

  • Over 95% of human cases are linked to dog bites.

• Prevention

  • Rabies is easily preventable in both animals and humans, with millions vaccinated yearly.

  • Control measures are inconsistent across different regions, leading to an increase in deaths.

Page 4: Etiology

• Virus Characteristics

  • Family: Rhabdoviridae, Genus: Lyssavirus.

  • Sensitive to environmental conditions; inactivated quickly outside the host.

  • New strains can emerge from bats, which can transmit to carnivores.

Page 5: Lyssavirus Species

• Key Species

  • RABV is the most significant worldwide, transmitted by carnivores and bats.

  • In Poland, RABV and EBL1 are present.

  • All species can induce rabies in mammals; vaccines primarily contain RABV.

Page 6: Epidemiology

• Involved Orders

  • Bats (Chiroptera) and carnivores are the main carriers of rabies.

Page 7: Rabies in Dogs and Wildlife

• Regional Variations

  • In tropical areas, dogs account for 75% of human rabies cases.

  • In temperate climates, wild animals like foxes and raccoons are significant reservoirs.

  • Bat rabies has been a concern in South America, Africa, and now in the USA and Europe.

Page 8: Rabies from Bats

• Transmission Risks

  • Even suckling bats can be rabid.

  • Human infections often occur indoors and may not involve direct bites.

Page 10: Signs of Rabies in Bats

• Behavioral Indicators

  • Atypical daytime activity, inability to fly, and oversensitivity to stimuli.

  • Physical signs include dirty mouths and inability to swallow.

Page 12: Rabies in Poland

• Historical Context

  • Rabies has been present for ages; post-WWII saw thousands of cases, primarily in dogs.

  • Mandatory dog vaccination led to a decrease in dog cases but an increase in fox cases.

Page 13: Rabies Cases in Poland (1992-2019)

• Trends

  • Significant decline in animal rabies cases following vaccination programs, particularly in foxes.

Page 14: Challenges in Eradication

• Current Issues

  • Increased fox populations and rabid raccoon-dogs complicate eradication efforts.

Page 16: Animal Rabies in Europe (2022)

• Statistics

  • Total reported cases: 739, with a significant percentage in domestic animals.

Page 17: Illegal Importation Risks

• Threat to Rabies-Free Countries

  • Illegal importation of pets poses a constant threat, leading to local outbreaks.

  • Historical examples include Spain and France losing rabies-free status due to illegal imports.

Page 19: Transmission of Rabies

• Infection Pathways

  • The virus is primarily excreted in saliva; biting is the main transmission route.

Page 20: Pathogenesis

• Virus Behavior

  • No viremia; the virus travels through axons, leading to variable incubation periods.

  • Primarily replicates in neurons without causing cell lysis.

Page 22: Acquired Immunity

• Vaccination Effects

  • Vaccination leads to long-lasting immunity; neutralizing antibodies prevent the virus from reaching the brain.

Page 24: Laboratory Diagnostics

• Testing Methods

  • Diagnosis in living animals is not possible; brain antigen detection is the best method.

Page 26: Principles of Rabies Control

• Control Measures

  • Government-led culling or isolation of rabid animals.

  • Oral vaccination programs for wildlife and vaccination of domestic pets.

Page 28: Role of Veterinarians

• Public Health Protection

  • Vets play a crucial role in rabies prevention through education and vaccination.

Page 29: Vaccination of Domestic Animals

• Regulations in Poland

  • Mandatory annual vaccination for dogs; voluntary for other species.

  • Inactivated virus vaccines are safe and effective.

Page 31: Special Vaccine for Cats

• Innovative Solutions

  • PUREVAX R is a non-adjuvanted vaccine designed to reduce the risk of post-injection sarcomas.

Page 32: Vaccination of Foxes

• Oral Vaccination

  • Millions of doses of live, attenuated RABV have been used, leading to significant declines in terrestrial rabies in