Rabies Vaccination and Immune Status of Owned Dogs in Zaria, Nigeria

Nigerian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 32(3): 2011; 204 - 20

World Rabies Day: Efforts Towards Rabies Awareness in Zaria, Nigeria

Nigerian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 32(2): 2011; 133 - 13

EVALUATION OF DOG SLAUGHTER AND CONSUMPTION PRACTICES RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF RABIES IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT The trade, slaughter and consumption of dog meats are some common attitudes and practices in subSaharan West African countries. These factors may represent a source of human rabies exposures and infections in the population of these countries and may be because of these only, still rabies remain endemic disease in Nigeria. Therefore, a survey was conducted during January, 2012 to July, 2012 for finding out the rational of dog meat consumption in Niger state, Nigeria. One hundred and fifty five volunteers (146 males and 9 females), consisting of dog butchers, consumers and those who leave around the slaughter points answered a questionnaire at five dog slaughter locations across the state. Information on the dogs slaughtered was also collected. The results revealed that 125 (80.6%) of the respondents consumed dog meat (4 females and 121 males). Only 12 (9.6%) were actually engaged in dog butchering who also identified that they purchased their dogs for slaughter from households within and outside their territories, not by personal breeding. None of the butchers were vaccinated against rabies. Regarding reasons for dog meat consumption, 80 (64%) respondents indicated that the meat was delicious, 23 (18.4%) claimed medicinal purposes, and 1 (0.8%) respondent believed that its consumption protected against the witches. Overall, 471 dogs were recorded to be slaughtered for human consumption during the study period. Despite their rational, the practices of dog trade, slaughter and consumption were detrimental to dogs as well as the control of rabies, particularly when evidence indicated that up to 28% of dogs slaughtered for human consumption in Nigeria may harbor the rabies virus. KEYWORDS Dog slaughter Dog consumption Rabies Nigeri

Barriers of attendance to dog rabies static point vaccination clinics in Blantyre, Malawi

<div><p>Rabies is a devastating yet preventable disease that causes around 59,000 human deaths annually. Almost all human rabies cases are caused by bites from rabies-infected dogs. A large proportion of these cases occur in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Annual vaccination of at least 70% of the dog population is recommended by the World Health Organisation in order to eliminate rabies. However, achieving such high vaccination coverage has proven challenging, especially in low resource settings. Despite being logistically and economically more feasible than door-to-door approaches, static point (SP) vaccination campaigns often suffer from low attendance and therefore result in low vaccination coverage. Here, we investigated the barriers to attendance at SP offering free rabies vaccinations for dogs in Blantyre, Malawi. We analysed data for 22,924 dogs from a city-wide vaccination campaign in combination with GIS and household questionnaire data using multivariable logistic regression and distance estimation techniques. We found that distance plays a crucial role in SP attendance (i.e. for every km closer the odds of attending a SP point are 3.3 times higher) and that very few people are willing to travel more than 1.5 km to bring their dog for vaccination. Additionally, we found that dogs from areas with higher proportions of people living in poverty are more likely to be presented for vaccination (ORs 1.58-2.22). Furthermore, puppies (OR 0.26), pregnant or lactating female dogs (OR 0.60) are less likely to be presented for vaccination. Owners also reported that they did not attend an SP because they were not aware of the campaign (27%) or they could not handle their dog (19%). Our findings will inform the design of future rabies vaccination programmes in SSA which may lead to improved vaccination coverage achieved by SP alone.</p></div

Serological Surveillance for Non-Rabies Lyssaviruses among Apparently Healthy Dogs in Zaria, Nigeria

Out of the seven recognized and four putative genotypes of lyssaviruses, genotypes 1-3 comprising namely the classical rabies virus (RABV), Lagos bat virus (LBV) and Mokola virus (MOKV) respectively have been reported in Nigeria. The domestic dog, Canis familiaris, is recognized as the reservoir for genotype 1, and the straw-colored fruit bat for genotype 2. The reservoir for genotype 3 remains unidentified. Serum samples were collected by convenient sampling from apparently healthy dogs inZaria and tested for the presence of neutralizing antibodies to three members of lyssavirus genotypes, namely LBV, MOKV , Duvenhage (DUVV), and a putative genotype, West Caucasian bat lyssavirus (WCBV) using a modification of the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test(RFFIT). Out of the 189 samples tested, six (3.7%) of them neutralized Lagos bat virus, and two (1.1%) of these additionally showed a neutralizing activity against Mokola virus. There was no serological evidence of WCBV and DUVV. This finding suggests the presence ofphylogroup 2 lyssaviruses circulating among dogs in this location. This is important especially since human exposure to dog bite is common in this locality. The possibility of exposure to these genotypes will have greatimplication with regards to the usefulness of the available vaccines which do not sufficiently protect against members of phylogroup 2. It further emphasizes the poor understanding of the epidemiology of lyssavirusinfection, especially among apparently healthy dogs. This calls for enhanced surveillance for lyssaviruses among both domestic and wildlife species in Nigeria to identify the definitive reservoir for Mokola virus

Determination of risk factors and level of awareness of caprine brucellosis amongst goat owners in Ojulga, Benue state, Nigeria.

In Oju, goats are the major livestock kept and there is a well established goat market held every five days. This study was aimed at determining the risk factors associated with caprine brucellosis and assessing level of awareness amongst goat owners in Oju Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire sought information on biodata of goat owners, goat data, health indicators and risk factors for both goats and goat owners. The management system and ways of handling the animals posed risks to the goats, owners and other handlers. This study established risk factors such as lack of vaccination, introduction of newly purchased goats into the herd without isolation or examination by a professional, semi-intensive system of management, improper disposal of after-birth materials, lack of use of protective clothing when handling goats and lack of washing and disinfection of pens. The fact that none of the goat owners could recognize brucellosis as a disease affecting their goats and did not vaccinate against the disease shows their unawareness of the disease and as a zoonosis. An awareness campaign on brucellosis should be carried out in Oju LGA and Benue State in general to enlighten them on this important zoonosis.Keywords: Risk factors, awareness, questionnaire, caprine brucellosis, Oju LGA, zoonosi

Detection of Rabies Antigen in the Brain Tissues of Apparetly Healthy Dogs Slaughteres in Ogoja - Cross River State, Nigeria

Rabies is a serious public health hazard and recently outbreaks of the disease have been reported in three local government areas in Cross River State. Detection of rabies antigen in the brain tissues of apparently healthy dogs indicates the presence of rabies virus and this is a significant factor in the transmission and spread of the disease. A cross sectional study was set up to investigate the presence of rabies antigen in the brain tissues of dogs slaughtered for human consumption in Ogoja. The results showed that out of 177 brain samples tested by Fluorescent Antibody Technique, 6(3.39%) were positive for rabies antigen. The rate of infection was higher in females 5(6.33%) than in males 1(1.02%). All the positive samples were from adult dogs. Observations during sampling revealed that processors of dog meat were not wearing protective clothings and had no pre or post exposure prophylaxis against rabies. These findings imply that those involved in handling and processing of dog meat are greatly at risk of exposure to rabies either from bite by these dogs or from infected nervous tissues or saliva that may accidentally contaminate open wounds or bruises and even intact mucous membrane (oral and ocular) during dog meat processing. Therefore public health intervention is required to create awareness about the dangers of the disease.Key words: Rabies antigen, slaughtered dogs, Ogoja, Nigeria.