scholarly journals Evaluation of Animal Rabies Surveillance System, Ekiti State, Nigeria, 2012-2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce Adebayo ◽  
Victor Ojo ◽  
Gabriel Ogundipe ◽  
Patrick Mboya Nguku
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Rabies Virus ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Test Strip ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Canine Rabies ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
Healthy Dogs ◽  
World Organization

ObjectiveThe objectives of this study are to evaluate the current animal rabies surveillance system in the state and suggest recommendations.IntroductionRabies is a zoonotic, neglected viral disease. Every 10 minutes, the world loses a life, especially children, to dog-mediated rabies. Yet it is 100% preventable. Africa, including Nigeria, has major share of the disease. Eradication of human rabies relies majorly on control of rabies in animals and this cannot be achieved without good surveillance system of the disease in animal, especially dogs. There is little or no information as to whether the surveillance system in Nigeria is effective.MethodsWe reviewed the medical records of all rabies cases reported in the 10 government and 5 registered private veterinary health facilities in the 16 LGAs of the state. We extracted 44 cases of rabies in all, between review period of 2012-2017. We also interviewed 25 key stakeholders in the system using Key Informant Interview (KII) and questionnaires. We followed the steps stated in CDC guideline for evaluation of public health surveillance system to assess the key attributes and components of the system, and analysed the data using Microsoft Excel.ResultsTwo (20%) of the government and only one in five private veterinary health facilities had records on rabies cases. All reported cases of suspected rabies involved dog bites. The confirmatory status of 32 (72.7%) of the suspected cases were unknown. Six (37.5%) LGAs did not have access to any veterinary health facility. Average of 1 technical staff per veterinary facility was seen. Overall, the system was useful and flexible. It was fairly simple, acceptable and representative. Both sensitivity and predictive Value Positive (PVP) were less than 1% while the timeliness, data quality and stability were poorConclusionsThe surveillance system was performing below optimal level. There is need for improvement in the animal rabies surveillance system to achieve elimination of human rabies in Nigeria.ReferencesAdedeji, A. O., Okonko, I. O., Eyarefe, O. D., Adedeji, O. B., Babalola, E. T., and Ojezele, M. O. (2010). An overview of rabies - History , epidemiology , control and possible elimination. African Journal of Microbiology Research, 4(22), 2327–2338.Aliyu, T. (2010). Prevalence of Rabies Virus Antigens in Apparently Healthy Dogs in Yola , Nigeria. Researcher, 2(2), 1–14.Ameh, V. O., Dzikwi, A. A., and Umoh, J. U. (2014). Assessment of Knowledge , Attitude and Practice of Dog Owners to Canine Rabies in Wukari Metropolis , Taraba State Nigeria. Global Journal of Health Science, 6(5), 226–240.Burgos-Cáceres, S., and Sigfrido. (2011). Canine Rabies: A Looming Threat to Public Health. Animals, 1(4), 326–342.Dutta, J. K., and Dutta, T. K. (1994). Rabies in endemic countries. BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 308(6927), 488–9.Ehimiyein, A. M., and Ehimiyein, I. O. (2014). Rabies– Its Previous and Current Trend as an Endemic Disease of Humans and Mammals in Nigeria. Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Science, 2(2320), 137–149.El-moamly, A. (2014). Immunochromatographic Techniques : Benefits for the Diagnosis of Parasitic Infections. Austin Chromatography, 1(4), 1–8.Fekadu, M. (1993). Canine rabies. Journal of Veterinary Research, 60, 421–427.Kasempimolporn, S., Saengseesom, W., Huadsakul, S., Boonchang, S., and Sitprija, V. (2011). Evaluation of a rapid immunochromatographic test strip for detection of Rabies virus in dog saliva samples. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 23(6), 1197-1201.Muriuki J, Thaiyah A, Mbugua S, Kitaa J and Kirui. G. (2016). Knowledge,Attitude and Practices on Rabies and Socio-economic Value of Dog Keeping in isumu and Siaya countries, Kenya. International Jornal of Veterinary Science, 5(1), 29–33.National Population Commission. (2009). 2006 population and housing census of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Official Gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 96(2), 1.Ogunkoya, A. ., Aina, O. ., Adebayo, O. ., Oluwagbenga, A. ., Tirmidhi, A. ., Audu, S. and Garba, A. (2012). Rabies Antigen Spread Amongst Apparently Healthy Dogs in Nigeria : A Review. Rita Brazil, 8(October), 74.OIE: World Organization for Animal Health. (2012). OIE Global Conference on Rabies Control: OIE - World Organisation for Animal Health. on-rabies-control/OIE: World Organization for Animal Health. (2014). Dog vaccination: the key to end dog-transmitted human rabies : OIE - World Organisation for Animal Health.Otolorin, G. R., Umoh, J. U., Dzikwi, A. A., and Anglais, A. E. (2014). Prevalence of Rabies Antigen in Brain Tissue of Dogs Slaughtered for Human Consumption and Evaluation of Vaccination of Dogs Against Rabies in Aba , Abia State Nigeria. World J Public Health Sciences, 3(1), 5–10.Panda, S., Mitra, J., Chowdhury, S., and Sarkar, S. N. (2016). Detection Of Rabies Viral Antigen In Cattle By Rapid Immunochromtographic Diagnostic Test. Explor Anim Medical Res, 6(1), 119–122.Sharma, P., Singh, C. K., and Narang, D. (2015). Comparison of immunochromatographic diagnostic test with heminested r everse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for detection of rabies virus from brain samples of various species. Veterinary World, 8(2), 135–138.Singh, C K; Kaw, A; Bansal, K; Dandale, M and Pranoti, S. (2012). Approaches for antemortem diagnosis of rabies 1. CIBTech Journal of Biotechnology, 1(1), 1–16.Takayama, N. (2008). Rabies: A preventable but incurable disease. Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy, 14(1), 8–14.Wang, H., Feng, N., Yang, S., Wang, C., Wang, T., Gao, Y. and Xia, X. (2010). A rapid immunochromatographic test strip for detecting rabies virus antibody. Journal of Virological Methods, 170(1–2), 80–5.WHO. (2016). WHO | Rabies. WHO.Wu, X., Hu, R., Zhang, Y., Dong, G. and Rupprecht, C. E. (2009). Reemerging rabies and lack of systemic surveillance in People’s Republic of China. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 15(8), 1159–64. 

scholarly journals Surveillance Opportunities and the Need for Intersectoral Collaboration on Rabies in Sri Lanka

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Pushpakumara Don Bamunusinghage Nihal ◽  
Ashoka Dangolla ◽  
Ranjani Hettiarachchi ◽  
Preeni Abeynayake ◽  
Craig Stephen
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Control Programme ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Intersectoral Collaboration ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Canine Rabies ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
Population Sizes

Sri Lanka is progressing towards its goal of eliminating human rabies. This goal rests on programs designed to limit canine rabies, which in turn requires a combination of targeted dog rabies control and a better understanding of the movement of the virus between domestic animals, people, and wildlife. Coordinated and integrated surveillance of the disease between human and animal health sectors underpins successful rabies elimination. Our objective was to review surveillance data from 2005 to 2014 to assemble the first multispecies synthesis of rabies information in Sri Lanka and, in doing so, assess needs and opportunities for a One Health approach to rabies surveillance in the country. Our descriptive epidemiological findings were consistent with other studies showing a decline in human cases, endemic and unchanging numbers of dog cases, a relationship between human density and the occurrence of human and animal cases, and significant gaps in understanding trends in rabies incidences in livestock and wildlife. Assessing the trends in the data from the three government organizations responsible for rabies surveillance was difficult due to lack of information on animal population sizes, unquantified sampling biases due to inequities in access to diagnostic capacities, regulatory and administrative barriers, and a continued reliance on clinical means to establish a diagnosis. The information required for a comprehensive rabies control programme was not standardized or consistent, was not in one place, showed significant gaps in completeness, and was not amenable to routine and rapid analysis. Achieving rabies elimination in Sri Lanka would benefit from harmonization of diagnostic and information management standards across animal and human health sectors as well as equitable access to diagnostic capacity for all regions and species.

A Scoping Review of the Effectiveness of Control Interventions of Human and Canine Rabies in an Effort to Rationalise the One Health Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-34
Author(s):  
Nur Asheila Abdul Taib ◽  
Razitasham Safii
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
One Health ◽  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Canine Rabies ◽  
The One ◽  
Health Organization

  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rabies is one of the 18 neglected tropical diseases, together with dengue, leprosy, and trachoma, among others. Despite being a vaccine-preventable disease, the latest estimate of annual human rabies mortality from a 2015 study is as high as 59,000 throughout 150 countries. In human rabies, more than 95% of the cases are due to dog bites, making the elimination of canine rabies a global priority by fighting the disease at its animal source. World Health Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) have warranted the One Health framework with the objective of complete eradication of dog-related human rabies by the year 2030. In an effort to rationalise the One Health approach, this scoping review found 17 studies on assessing the effectiveness of control interventions of human and canine rabies. Different strategies were implemented based on the endemicity of rabies in a particular country. Overall, the combined strategies using the One Health approach, which allows effective participation and communication between different agencies, have shown promising results in reducing rabies cases. These strategies will hopefully realise the goal in the Global Strategic Plan to achieve zero canine-mediated human rabies death by the year 2030.

scholarly journals Progress towards eliminating canine rabies: policies and perspectives from Latin America and the Caribbean

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1623) ◽  
pp. 20120143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Antonio Natal Vigilato ◽  
Alfonso Clavijo ◽  
Terezinha Knobl ◽  
Hugo Marcelo Tamayo Silva ◽  
Ottorino Cosivi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Disease Diagnosis ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
The Political ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Canine Rabies ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Health Organization

Human rabies transmitted by dogs is considered a neglected disease that can be eliminated in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) by 2015. The aim of this paper is to discuss canine rabies policies and projections for LAC regarding current strategies for achieving this target and to critically review the political, economic and geographical factors related to the successful elimination of this deadly disease in the context of the difficulties and challenges of the region. The strong political and technical commitment to control rabies in LAC in the 1980s, started with the regional programme coordinated by the Pan American Health Organization. National and subnational programmes involve a range of strategies including mass canine vaccination with more than 51 million doses of canine vaccine produced annually, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis, improvements in disease diagnosis and intensive surveillance. Rabies incidence in LAC has dramatically declined over the last few decades, with laboratory confirmed dog rabies cases decreasing from approximately 25 000 in 1980 to less than 300 in 2010. Dog-transmitted human rabies cases also decreased from 350 to less than 10 during the same period. Several countries have been declared free of human cases of dog-transmitted rabies, and from the 35 countries in the Americas, there is now only notification of human rabies transmitted by dogs in seven countries (Bolivia, Peru, Honduras, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Guatemala and some states in north and northeast Brazil). Here, we emphasize the importance of the political commitment in the final progression towards disease elimination. The availability of strategies for rabies control, the experience of most countries in the region and the historical ties of solidarity between countries with the support of the scientific community are evidence to affirm that the elimination of dog-transmitted rabies can be achieved in the short term. The final efforts to confront the remaining obstacles, like achieving and sustaining high vaccination coverage in communities that are most impoverished or in remote locations, are faced by countries that struggle to allocate sufficient financial and human resources for rabies control. Continent-wide cooperation is therefore required in the final efforts to secure the free status of remaining countries in the Americas, which is key to the regional elimination of human rabies transmitted by dogs.

scholarly journals Public–private partnerships in trust-based public health social networking: Connecting organizations for regional disease surveillance (CORDS)

1969 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise S Greshama ◽  
Leslie A Pray ◽  
Suwit Wibulpolprasert ◽  
Beverly Trayner
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Rockefeller Foundation ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Regional Disease ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
World Organization

We describe a new trust-based global health security initiative known as CORDS: Connecting Organizations for Regional Disease Surveillance. Initiated and managed by the Nuclear Threat Initiative with support of The Rockefeller Foundation, Fondation Mérieux and the Skoll Global Threats Fund. CORDS is a non-governmental platform to transform dialogue among public health, veterinary and wildlife professionals from multi-country infectious disease surveillance networks. It also links with the World Health Organization, World Organization for Animal Health and other global partners in managing cross-border emerging infectious disease threats and building disease surveillance capacity. The public–private partnerships of CORDS create a global social fabric and continuity of disease experts based upon trust.

scholarly journals Domestic dog demographics and estimates of canine vaccination coverage in a rural area of Zambia for the elimination of rabies

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. e0009222
Author(s):  
Chiho Kaneko ◽  
Ryosuke Omori ◽  
Michihito Sasaki ◽  
Chikako Kataoka-Nakamura ◽  
Edgar Simulundu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Vaccination Campaign ◽  
Mass Vaccination ◽  
Domestic Dog ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Canine Rabies ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
Mass Vaccination Campaign ◽  
Rabies Vaccination

Background An estimated 75% or more of the human rabies cases in Africa occur in rural settings, which underscores the importance of rabies control in these areas. Understanding dog demographics can help design strategies for rabies control and plan and conduct canine mass vaccination campaigns effectively in African countries. Methodology/Principal findings A cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate domestic dog demographics in Kalambabakali, in the rural Mazabuka District of Zambia. The population of ownerless dogs and the total achievable vaccination coverage among the total dog population was estimated using the capture-recapture-based Bayesian model by conducting a canine mass vaccination campaign. This study revealed that 29% of the domestic dog population was under one year old, and 57.7% of those were under three months old and thus were not eligible for the canine rabies vaccination in Zambia. The population growth was estimated at 15% per annum based on the cross-sectional household survey. The population of ownerless dogs was estimated to be small, with an ownerless-to-owned-dog ratio of 0.01–0.06 in the target zones. The achieved overall vaccination coverage from the first mass vaccination was estimated 19.8–51.6%. This low coverage was principally attributed to the owners’ lack of information, unavailability, and dog-handling difficulties. The follow-up mass vaccination campaign achieved an overall coverage of 54.8–76.2%. Conclusions/Significance This paper indicates the potential for controlling canine rabies through mass vaccination in rural Zambia. Rabies education and responsible dog ownership are required to achieve high and sustainable vaccination coverage. Our findings also propose including puppies below three months old in the target population for rabies vaccination and emphasize that securing an annual enforcement of canine mass vaccination that reaches 70% coverage in the dog population is necessary to maintain protective herd immunity.

scholarly journals PENILAIAN ORGANISASI PERANGKAT DAERAH (OPD) TENTANG OTORITAS VETERINER DALAM KEBIJAKAN PENANGGULANGAN RABIES DI PROVINSI BANTEN

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Joko Ismadi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Regional Development ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Regional Organizations ◽  
Veterinary Public Health ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
Technical Services

AbstractLegislation No 41 Year 2014 about Amendment of Legislation No 18 Year 2009 about Livestock and Animal Health explains that Veterinary Authority is a government institution, formed in order to deal with decision making of anything related to animal health, by involving veterinarians and mobilizing all related professional lines, to identify problems, deciding policies, coordinating policy implementation, and handling the field operations.This research material uses the result from a group of respondents, which represents 36 Regional organizations (OPD), they are: 9 OPD Technical services, supervising animal health (keswan) and veterinary public health (kesmavet), 9 OPD Health services, 9 OPD Regional development planning services, and 9 OPD Regional staffing services (BKD), for regencies, and cities in Banten Province. Data collection is done using two methods, quantitatively by using data from all 36 OPD, and qualitatively by using observation, interviews, dan questionnaires.First 5 questions: 1). Are the organization bureaucratic? 2). Positions, roles, and authority of veterinarians? 3). Is the veterinary authority regarding rabies control at agencies, clinics, and animal health center already in line with the implementation? 4). Strategic policy and 5). Integrated, directed, and continuous program regarding public awareness of rabies, for rabies control in provincial or regency government. The answers are as follows, Technical services of animal health (keswan) and veterinary public health (kesmavet) : 0%, 33,33%, 77,78%, 100% and 77,78% answered yes; 100%, 66,67%, 22,22%, 0% and 22,22% answered no. Health services: 22,22%, 66,67%, 88,89%, 44,44% and 44,44% answered yes; 77,78%, 33,33%, 11,11%, 55,56% and 55,56% answered no. Regional development planning services (Bappeda), 33,33%, 88,89%, 66,67%, 11,11% and 11,11% answered yes; 66,67%, 11,11%, 33,33%, 88,89% and 88,89% answered no; Regional staffing services (BKD) 88,89%, 77,78%, 55,56%, 0% and 0% answered yes; 11,11%, 22,22%, 44,44%, 100% and 100% answered no. Next questions: 6). Cooperations between OPD, 7). Regional Policy 8). Veterinarian openings and 9). Enforcement and improvement of otovet institutions. The answers are as follows: Technical services of keswan kesmavet: 33,33%, 44,44%, 77,78% and 100% answers yes; 66,67%, 55,56%, 22,22% and 0% answers no. Health services: 55,56%, 22,22%, 0% and 77,78% answers yes; 44,44%, 77,78%, 100% and 22,22% answers no. Regional development planning services (Bappeda), 33,33%, 33,33%, 33,33 and 100% answers yes; 66,67%, 66,67%, 66,67% and 0% answers no; while Regional staffing services (BKD) 11,11%, 11,11%, 100% and 66,67% answers yes, 88,89%, 88,89%, 0%, !00% and 33,33% answers no.In conclusion, after scoring the questionnaire, the results for OPDs supervising animal health (keswan) and veterinary public health (kesmavet) otovet are as follows:  Technical services with 9 OPDs, 4 OPDs scores well and 5 OPDs scores poor. Health services with 9 OPDs, 4 OPDs scores well and 5 OPDs scores poor. Regional development planning services (Bappeda) with 9 OPDs, 4 OPDs scores well and 5 OPDs scores poor. Regional staffing services (BKD) with 9 OPDs, 1 OPD scores well and 8 OPDs scores poor.Keywords: Veterinary authority; Regional organizations (OPD), control rabies, rabies

scholarly journals Rabies mortality and morbidity associated with animal bites in Africa: A case for Integrated Rabies Diseases Surveillance, Prevention and Control - A Scoping review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Nyasulu ◽  
Jacqueline Weyer ◽  
Rea Tschopp ◽  
Adane Mihret ◽  
Abraham Aseffa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
And Control

Background: Rabies a neglected tropical disease, mostly affecting poor and vulnerable populations living in remote rural areas in developing countries. The disease continues to pose a significant public health a threat with an estimated 59,000 dog-transmitted human deaths, of which an estimated 21,476 human deaths occur in Africa each year. The global strategy has been set by the quartite World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), aiming for "zero human deaths associated with dog transmitted rabies by 2030". African countries, however, face several challenges and there are still gaps in controlling rabies. The aim of this study review is to determine rabies prevalence, mortality and associated risk factors in both human population and animal population and to evaluate the presence or absence of integrated one health surveillance response in African nations. Methods and analysis: We will conduct an electronic literature searches on PubMed, CINAHL, (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Scopus, and Web of Science and other relevant databases. Reference lists from identified published articles or reviews and conference abstracts will also be searched for relevant articles. Published and unpublished literatures (grey) will be included in the search. The findings will be presented graphically in terms of mortality, morbidity, interventions for rabies control in Africa, research gaps identified, available research evidence, rabies surveillance, prevention and control and adverse events. Conclusion: This review will contribute to the coordination of interventions for surveillance, prevention, and control with African countries as country-based gaps and challenges and opportunities will be highlighted. In addition, the scaling up of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP rabies will be evaluated in African countries and the projection to achieve the target of "zero deaths of human rabies by 2030" in Africa.

scholarly journals History of Rabies Incidence and Rabies Control in Serbia in Support of the Zero by 2030 Campaign to Eliminate Dog-Mediated Human Rabies

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Srđan Stankov ◽  
Dušan Lalošević ◽  
Anthony R. Fooks
Keyword(s):  
Health Department ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Canine Rabies ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
Novi Sad ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Rabies Prevention ◽  
Rabies Vaccination

Urban (principally canine-mediated) rabies has been a public health risk for people living in Serbia for centuries. The first legal act in urban rabies prevention in Serbia was established in 1834 by introducing high taxes for pet dog owners. Five years later in 1839, the first set of literature describing rabies prevention was issued by the health department from The Serbian Ministry of Interior. An overview of cauterization of rabies wounds was presented as the principal method of rabies post exposure prophylaxis. In 1890, a human rabies vaccination was introduced in Serbia with the royal government directive which ordered patients to be treated at the Pasteur Institute in Budapest in receipt of rabies vaccination. Urban (canine) rabies was eliminated during the 1980s, but sylvatic (principally fox-mediated) rabies still prevailed. The last human rabies case was recorded in the Province of Kosovo and Metohija in 1980. Sylvatic rabies in Serbia is in the final stages of elimination by orally vaccinating foxes (Vulpes vulpes). The only published finding of a lyssavirus among Serbian bats was made in 1954 by Dr Milan Nikolić in the vicinity of Novi Sad. In 2006, a comprehensive two-year active surveillance program of lyssaviruses in bats in Serbia was undertaken. In this single study, all of the bats from Serbia tested negative for a lyssavirus.

scholarly journals Portable Rabies Virus Sequencing in Canine Rabies Endemic Countries Using the Oxford Nanopore MinION

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1255
Author(s):  
Crystal M. Gigante ◽  
Gowri Yale ◽  
Rene Edgar Condori ◽  
Niceta Cunha Costa ◽  
Nguyen Van Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rabies Virus ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Canine Rabies ◽  
Virus Diversity ◽  
Oxford Nanopore ◽  
International Border

As countries with endemic canine rabies progress towards elimination by 2030, it will become necessary to employ techniques to help plan, monitor, and confirm canine rabies elimination. Sequencing can provide critical information to inform control and vaccination strategies by identifying genetically distinct virus variants that may have different host reservoir species or geographic distributions. However, many rabies testing laboratories lack the resources or expertise for sequencing, especially in remote or rural areas where human rabies deaths are highest. We developed a low-cost, high throughput rabies virus sequencing method using the Oxford Nanopore MinION portable sequencer. A total of 259 sequences were generated from diverse rabies virus isolates in public health laboratories lacking rabies virus sequencing capacity in Guatemala, India, Kenya, and Vietnam. Phylogenetic analysis provided valuable insight into rabies virus diversity and distribution in these countries and identified a new rabies virus lineage in Kenya, the first published canine rabies virus sequence from Guatemala, evidence of rabies spread across an international border in Vietnam, and importation of a rabid dog into a state working to become rabies-free in India. Taken together, our evaluation highlights the MinION’s potential for low-cost, high volume sequencing of pathogens in locations with limited resources.

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