The report authors said vaccinating dogs was the
most cost-effective way of reducing deaths from
rabies, but if bites occur then vaccines should be
widely available to save human lives
Around 59,000 people die every year from rabies
transmitted by dogs, with the poorer regions of
the world worst affected, says a report by the
Global Alliance for Rabies Control.
The report authors said more should be done to
vaccinate dogs, particularly in low-income
countries.
Vaccines for bite victims should also be more
affordable and more widely available in these
areas.
Rabies is a fatal viral infection which is almost
100% preventable.
The infection can infect all mammals, but
domestic dogs cause more than 99% of all human
deaths from rabies, the report said.
Death burden
Most developed countries, including the UK, have
eliminated rabies from their dog populations.
But in many developing countries, rabies is still
present in domestic dogs and is often poorly
controlled.
The report estimated that around 160 people die
every day from the disease, with the vast majority
of these occurring in Asia, which accounts for 60%
of deaths, and Africa (36%).
On its own, India accounts for 35% of human
rabies deaths, more than any other country.
The report said that the proportion of dogs
vaccinated in almost all countries in Africa and
Asia is far below that necessary to control the
disease.
It said the best and most cost-effective way of
preventing canine rabies was by vaccinating
dogs.
And this had to be supplemented by improving
access to human vaccines as well.
'Unnecessary burden'
The authors wrote: "Collaborative investments by
medical and veterinary sectors could dramatically
reduce the current large, and unnecessary, burden
of rabies on affected communities.
"Improved surveillance is needed to reduce
uncertainty in burden estimates and to monitor
the impacts of control efforts."
They added that countries which had invested
most in dog vaccinations were the ones where
human deaths from the disease had been virtually
eliminated.
The study, by the Global Alliance for Rabies
Control's Partners for Rabies Prevention Group,
also showed that rabies cost the world US $8.6bn
through premature deaths, lost income for victims
of bites and spending on human vaccines.
Dr Katie Hampson, who led the study from the
University of Glasgow, said the study was the first
to estimate the impact of canine rabies and how
it was being controlled in every country in the
world.
"The breadth of data used in this study, from
surveillance reports to epidemiological study data
to global vaccine sales figures, is far greater than
ever analysed before, allowing this more detailed
output."
Researcher Prof Louis Nel, executive director of
the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, said: "No
one should die of rabies and we will continue to
work together towards global rabies elimination."
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