One Health for Dog-mediated Rabies Elimination in Asia. A Collection of Local Experiences

Although an effective human rabies vaccine has existed since 1885, rabies continues to kill an estimated 59,000 people every year. Sixty per cent of these human deaths occur in Asia. The number of animals, especially dogs, who die of rabies is uncalculated. To work towards the global target of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies deaths, the rabies community is applying the One Health approach by jointly focusing on humans and dogs. Written by a multidisciplinary group of scholars and rabies control programme specialists, this book is a collection of experiences and observations on the challenges and successes along the path to rabies control and prevention in Asia. The book: grounds chapters in solid scientific theory, but retains a direct, practice-focused and inspirational approach;provides numerous examples of lessons learned and experience-based knowledge gained across countries at different levels of rabies elimination;brings together and highlights the practices of a strong, international rabies network that works according to the One Health concept. Covering perspectives from almost a dozen Asian countries and a wide range of sectors and disciplines, such as healthcare facilities, veterinary services, laboratories, public health institutes, wildlife research centres and academia, this book is an invaluable resource for rabies practitioners and scholars, but also those working in the wider fields of disease control and cross-sectoral One Health

Health monitoring of wildlife in France : SAGIR network and epidemiological monitoring of chiroptera rabies

Two wildlife surveillance networks centralised at AFSSA-LERRPAS are presented. SAGIR network is a generalist network monitoring wildlife diseases in France. Collected data also provide information on the potential reservoir or vector status of wild animals for pathogens transmissible to man or domestic animals. The use of this network to monitor avian influenza in wild birds in France is described. The bat rabies monitoring network specialises in one disease and it must take into account the protected status of bats.Deux réseaux de surveillance de la faune sauvage centralisés à l'AFSSA-LERRPAS sont présentés. Le réseau SAGIR est un réseau généraliste de surveillance et d'alerte des maladies de la faunesauvage en France. Les données recueillies permettent aussi de connaître le statut potentiel de réservoir ou de vecteur des animaux sauvages vis-à-vis de certains agents pathogènes transmissibles à l'homme ou aux animaux domestiques. L'utilisation de ce réseau comme moyen de surveillance de l'influenza aviaire chez les oiseaux sauvages est détaillée. Le réseau de surveillance de la rage des chauves-souris est consacré à une seule maladie. Le fonctionnement doit prendre en compte le statut protégé des espèces suivies

Experimental infection of Foxes with European bat Lyssaviruses type-1 and 2

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Since 1954, there have been in excess of 800 cases of rabies as a result of European Bat <it>Lyssaviruses </it>types 1 and 2 (EBLV-1, EBLV-2) infection, mainly in Serotine and Myotis bats respectively. These viruses have rarely been reported to infect humans and terrestrial mammals, as the only exceptions are sheep in Denmark, a stone marten in Germany and a cat in France. The purpose of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of foxes to EBLVs using silver foxes (<it>Vulpes vulpes</it>) as a model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our experimental studies have shown that the susceptibility of foxes to EBLVs is low by the intramuscular (IM) route, however, animals were sensitive to intracranial (IC) inoculation. Mortality was 100% for both EBLV-1 (~4.5 logs) and EBLV-2 (~3.0 logs) delivered by the IC route. Virus dissemination and inflammatory infiltrate in the brain were demonstrated but virus specific neutralising antibody (VNA) was limited (log(ED₅₀) = 0.24–2.23 and 0.95–2.39 respectively for specific EBLV-1 and EBLV-2). Foxes were also susceptible, at a low level, to peripheral (IM) infection (~3.0 logs) with EBLV-1 but not EBLV-2. Three out of 21 (14.3%) foxes developed clinical signs between 14 and 24 days post-EBLV-1 infection. None of the animals given EBLV-2 developed clinical disease.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data suggest that the chance of a EBLV spill-over from bat to fox is low, but with a greater probability for EBLV-1 than for EBLV-2 and that foxes seem to be able to clear the virus before it reaches the brain and cause a lethal infection.</p

Eliminating Rabies in Estonia

The compulsory vaccination of pets, the recommended vaccination of farm animals in grazing areas and the extermination of stray animals did not succeed in eliminating rabies in Estonia because the virus was maintained in two main wildlife reservoirs, foxes and raccoon dogs. These two species became a priority target therefore in order to control rabies. Supported by the European Community, successive oral vaccination (OV) campaigns were conducted twice a year using Rabigen® SAG2 baits, beginning in autumn 2005 in North Estonia. They were then extended to the whole territory from spring 2006. Following the vaccination campaigns, the incidence of rabies cases dramatically decreased, with 266 cases in 2005, 114 in 2006, four in 2007 and three in 2008. Since March 2008, no rabies cases have been detected in Estonia other than three cases reported in summer 2009 and one case in January 2011, all in areas close to the South-Eastern border with Russia. The bait uptake was satisfactory, with tetracycline positivity rates ranging from 85% to 93% in foxes and from 82% to 88% in raccoon dogs. Immunisation rates evaluated by ELISA ranged from 34% to 55% in foxes and from 38% to 55% in raccoon dogs. The rabies situation in Estonia was compared to that of the other two Baltic States, Latvia and Lithuania. Despite regular OV campaigns conducted throughout their territory since 2006, and an improvement in the epidemiological situation, rabies has still not been eradicated in these countries. An analysis of the number of baits distributed and the funding allocated by the European Commission showed that the strategy for rabies control is more cost-effective in Estonia than in Latvia and Lithuania

Genetic Diversity of the Cestode Echinococcus multilocularis in Red Foxes at a Continental Scale in Europe

Echinococcus multilocularis is a tapeworm of the red fox, which represents a considerable health threat to respectively infected humans. Main endemic areas are located in China, Siberia, and central Europe. Alarmed by an emerging or reemerging situation in Europe, the question of how the parasite gets spatially and temporally spread and transmitted becomes essential to prepare appropriate control programs. The question was tackled by using genetic data on a large sample size of E. multilocularis adult stage tapeworms, combined with geographical site location data input. The historically documented endemic area, represented by the northern Alpine arch, was shown to harbour the highest genetic richness and diversity, as compared to surrounding areas in northern and eastern Europe. The spatial and temporal spread of different E. multilocularis genotypes in Europe seems to be ruled by a founder event, linked to exportation of parasites from the central core to newly identified (western and eastern) areas or subregions, where these parasites could subsequently disseminate under geographical separation from the original foci

A Step Forward in Molecular Diagnostics of Lyssaviruses – Results of a Ring Trial among European Laboratories

Rabies is a lethal and notifiable zoonotic disease for which diagnostics have to meet the highest standards. In recent years, an evolution was especially seen in molecular diagnostics with a wide variety of different detection methods published. Therefore, a first international ring trial specifically designed on the use of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detection of lyssavirus genomic RNA was organized. The trial focussed on assessment and comparison of the performance of conventional and real-time assays. In total, 16 European laboratories participated. All participants were asked to investigate a panel of defined lyssavirus RNAs, consisting of Rabies virus (RABV) and European bat lyssavirus 1 and 2 (EBLV-1 and -2) RNA samples, with systems available in their laboratory. The ring trial allowed the important conclusion that conventional RT-PCR assays were really robust assays tested with a high concordance between different laboratories and assays. The real-time RT-PCR system by Wakeley et al. (2005) in combination with an intercalating dye, and the combined version by Hoffmann and co-workers (2010) showed good sensitivity for the detection of all RABV samples included in this test panel. Furthermore, all used EBLV-specific assays, real-time RT-PCRs as well as conventional RT-PCR systems, were shown to be suitable for a reliable detection of EBLVs. It has to be mentioned that differences were seen in the performance between both the individual RT-PCR systems and the laboratories. Laboratories which used more than one molecular assay for testing the sample panel always concluded a correct sample result. Due to the markedly high genetic diversity of lyssaviruses, the application of different assays in diagnostics is needed to achieve a maximum of diagnostic accuracy. To improve the knowledge about the diagnostic performance proficiency testing at an international level is recommended before using lyssavirus molecular diagnostics e.g. for confirmatory testing