Epidemiological Study of Rabies from 2001-2016 in Grenada, West Indies.
Rabies virus is transmissible to all mammals and members of the order Carnivora and Chiroptera, therefore considered as the main reservoir hosts. Canines are the predominant reservoir hosts for the rabies virus globally and are responsible for 99% of the human infections. The risk for human transmission from dogs is greatest in Africa and Asia, followed by Latin America.
Stray dog control programs, in coordination with vaccination programs, have been helping to decrease canine rabies reservoirs in many Latin American countries since the 1980’s. Current programs of rabies control in Grenada include veterinary and government facilitated vaccination clinics for animals, education of individuals and children, pre-exposure vaccination of the risk individuals, and post-exposure prophylaxis for humans. However, a regular surveillance system to report the suspected cases of rabies in human and animals is essential for the prevention and control of this fatal disease.
However, in this study, 16 reports (8 canines, 5 felines, 3 mongooses) indicated animals testing positive for rabies to be attacking and biting humans. Since the mongoose is a wildlife species, they are less likely than domestic species and family pets, to be caught and brought in for testing. Although less likely to bite when rabid, ruminants can still transmit the virus to humans through direct contact with their saliva. The lower number of reported cases in this study involving ruminants makes the interpretation of previous data difficult. The lower number of reported cases in this study involving ruminants makes the interpretation of previous data difficult.
Vet Med Open J. 2017; 2(2): 45-50. doi: 10.17140/VMOJ-2-115
