Ecology of dogs in the Central Philippines in relation to rabies control efforts

Abstract

Rabies is endemic in dogs but has no other host as reservoir in the Philippines. Essential to programmes of rabies control is an understanding of the ecology of dogs and their relationships to human society. In the central Philippines, where this study was conducted before and during rabies control efforts, most households in rural 'barangays' or communities owned one or more dogs which served as guards, as scavengers and, in some, as a source of meat--but not as pets to be handled and played with. A second important category of dogs comprised those which foraged semi-self-sufficiently but were recognized by the barangay residents as belonging to the community. The number of these dogs was determined by the carrying capacity of the community, but their population was dependent upon cast-off owned dogs as their fecundity was below maintenance levels. Killing of any dogs, except for meat or in the event of suspicion of rabies, was of low social acceptance. In urban centres, upper class residents owned dogs as guards or pets but their employees, who often lived within their compounds, related to their dogs as did rural residents. Middle class families maintained greater control over their dogs. In lower class urban districts, a continual influx of dogs which on occasion were incubating rabies, plus the large size of many such districts, enabled them to serve as continual foci of infection. In this setting, rabies control was most effectively achieved by teams of vaccinators going house to house, capturing and injecting all dogs whether owned or belonging to the community. The immunization of 80% or more of the dogs was readily achieved and brought rabies under complete control.