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Review
. 2014 Apr 23;81(2):E1-8.
doi: 10.4102/ojvr.v81i2.731.

The changing landscape of rabies epidemiology and control

Sarah Cleaveland  1 , Hawthorne Beyer, Katie Hampson, Daniel Haydon, Felix Lankester, Tiziana Lembo, Francois-Xavier Meslin, Michelle Morters, Zacharia Mtema, Maganga Sambo, Sunny Townsend
Affiliations
Review

The changing landscape of rabies epidemiology and control

Sarah Cleaveland et al. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. .

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.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationship(s) that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scheme showing how misperceptions about dog ecology and rabies epidemiology have negative consequences for rabies control; and identifying the types of research studies that can generate the evidence-base needed for effective control.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Figure showing the estimated annual number of human deaths from major zoonotic diseases in relation to the level of investment spent in containment and control.
Source: adapted from Lembo et al. (2010) RVF, Rift Valley Fever; SARS, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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