One health: Collaboration, recent research and developments in the global effort to eliminate Rabies

Background: Rabies causes 55,000 deaths annually, half of which are in children less than 15 years of age, and has the highest mortality rate of any infectious disease. It is both preventable and controllable. Economic impact of rabies in developing countries in Asia and Africa, where over 98% of all human rabies deaths occur from exposure to canine rabies, rises each year. Estimated annual human rabies prevention costs are about $800 million U.S. Even so, continuing vaccine and RIG shortages in countries with the highest incidence of rabies continue unabated, leaving the most vulnerable at greatest risk. New lyssavirus genotypes continue to be discovered in bats in Asia and Africa-needing continuing widespread surveillance globally. Burden of disease and suffering cannot be over-stated. Rabies victims in developing countries are often sent home to die, due to lack of treatment facilities and fear of the disease. Additionally, lack of surveillance and adequate control measures have enabled rabies spread to previously rabies-free areas (e.g recent outbreak in Bali leading to human rabies deaths). Methods: Literature review-MesH rabies, monoclonals, vaccine, epidemiology, surveillance Meeting abstracts 2008-09. Results: Recent advances in rabies prevention and control strategies: 1. New vaccine both for humans and animals. Molecular biology has brought new understanding to lyssavirus evolution, to possible new reduced vaccine schedules, and to an effective substitute for equine or human rabies immunoglobulin through the development of promising monoclonal antibodies now in clinical trials. Oral animal vaccines have been developed using human adenovirus as the rabies G-Protein carrier. 2. Diagnosis of rabies in the field has been made posible via the dRIT light microscope immunohistochemical test. 3. GIS systems and computer modeling have improved rabies surveillance. 4.Partners for Rabies Control has developed an action blueprint for controlling rabies in developing countries. 5. Substantial funding from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is targeted to studues if dog rabies elimination in Tanzania,Kuazulu-Natal, and the Philippines. 6. A registered charity in the U.K. and U.S., the Alliance for Rabies Control, has become a beacon for rabies education and prevention. Conclusion: Rabies is both preventable and controllable-many challenges, but brighter future! Abstracts for SupplementInternational Journal of Infectious DiseasesVol. 14Preview Full-Text PDF Open Archive