Dynamics of seasonal rabies incidence in animals in Azerbaijan

The increasing number of rabies outbreaks is currently one of the most important challenges in both human and animal health. The epidemiological and epizootic significance of rabies is determined by its absolute lethality in case of clinical manifestations, as well as global spread, latent incubation period and lack of specific treatment. Rabies is endemic in Azerbaijan; wild carnivores, stray dogs and cats determining the natural type of rabies are considered the main source of infection in the Republic. The dynamics of rabies natural cases has seasonal variability. As a rule, the number of disease cases increases in autumn, winter and spring, which is associated with the biological characteristics of the main disease vectors and the climatic conditions in the region. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the spread of rabies in Azerbaijan in different seasons of the year. For this purpose, the statistical data were collected based on animal incidence by month and season for the last four years (2018–2021). It was found that rabies cases were most often identified in the period from March to May: in 2018 – 21 (31%) cases, in 2019 – 24 (38%) cases, in 2021 – 8 (40%) cases. The exception was 2020, when the majority of rabies cases occurred in December – February. To assess the epizootological and epidemiological risks of rabies in the country, the disease frequency rate among various animal species was studied by year. The largest number of rabies cases (54%) was shown to be detected among dogs. Cattle accounted for 38.1% of cases, 5.7% of positive samples were derived from stray dogs, 1.6% – from sheep, 0.6% – from horses. The study results have shown that animal rabies exhibits a clearly pronounced seasonal pattern in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

1. Zero by 30: the global strategic plan to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. Geneva: WHO; FAO; WOAH; 2018. Режим доступа: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/272756.

2. Ichhpujani R. L., Mala C., Veena M., Singh J., Bhardwaj M., Bhattacharya D., et al. Epidemiology of animal bites and rabies cases in India. A multicentric study. J. Commun. Dis. 2008; 40 (1): 27–36. PMID: 19127666.

3. Narrod C., Zinsstag J., Tiongco M. A one health framework for estimating the economic costs of zoonotic diseases on society. Ecohealth. 2012; 9 (2): 150–162. DOI: 10.1007/s10393-012-0747-9.

4. Dobson A. Population dynamics of pathogens with multiple host species. Am. Nat. 2004; 164 (Suppl 5): S64–78. DOI: 10.1086/424681.

5. Knobel D. L., LemboT., Morters M., Townsend S. E., Cleaveland S., Hampson K. Dog rabies and its control. In: Rabies: Scientific basis of the disease and its management. Ed. by A. Jackson. 3rd ed. Academic Press; 2013; Chapter 17: 591–615. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-396547-9.00017-1.

6. Jyoti, Goel M. K., Vashisht B. M., Khanna P. Pattern and burden of animal bite cases in a tertiary care hospital in Haryana. J. Commun. Dis. 2010; 42 (3): 215–218. PMID: 22471186.

7. Najar H., Streinu-Cercel A. Epidemiological management of rabies in Romania. Germs. 2012; 2 (3): 95–100. DOI: 10.11599/germs.2012.1019.

8. Zeynalova S., Shikhiyev M., Aliyeva T., Ismayilova R., Wise E., Abdullayev R., et al. Epidemiological characteristics of human and animalrabiesinAzerbaijan. Zoonoses Public Health. 2015; 62 (2): 111–118. DOI: 10.1111/zph.12119.

9. Abela-Ridder B., Martin S., Gongal G., Engels D. Rabies vaccine stockpile: fixing the supply chain. Bull. World HealthOrgan. 2016; 94 (9): 635–635A. DOI: 10.2471/BLT.16.183012.

10. Burgos-Cáceres S. Canine rabies: A looming threat to public health. Animals (Basel). 2011; 1 (4): 326–342. DOI: 10.3390/ani1040326.

11. Jain M., Prakash R., Garg K., Jain R., Choudhary M. Epidemiology of animal bite cases attending anti-rabies clinic of a Tertiary Care Centre in Southern Rajasthan. J. Res. Med. Den. Sci. 2015; 3 (1): 79–82. DOI: 10.5455/jrmds.20153117.

12. Hossain M., Bulbul T., Ahmed K., Ahmed Z., Salimuzzaman M., Haque M. S., et al. Five-year (January 2004 – December 2008) surveillance on animal bite and rabies vaccine utilization in the Infectious Disease Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Vaccine. 2011; 29 (5): 1036–1040. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.11.052.

13. Simon A., Tardy O., Hurford A., Lecomte N., Bélanger D. Leighton P. A. Dynamics and persistence of rabies in the Arctic. Polar Research. 2019; 38:3366. DOI: 10.33265/polar.v38.3366.

14. Sudarshan M. K., Madhusudana S. N., Mahendra B. J., Rao N. S., Ashwath Narayana D. H., Abdul Rahman S., et al. Assessing the burden of human rabies in India: results of a national multi-center epidemiological survey. Int. J. Infect Dis. 2007; 11 (1): 29–35. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2005.10.007.

15. Kulkarni S. K. Trend of animal bite victims reported to anti rabies vaccination clinic at a tertiary care hospital Nanded Maharashtra. IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences. 2016; 15 (11): 36–39.

16. Fekadu M., Shaddock J. H., Baer G. M. Excretion of rabies virusin the saliva of dogs. J. Infect. Dis. 1982; 145 (5): 715–719. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/145.2.715.

17. Hasanov E. Rabies control measuresin Azerbaijan: survey ofstray dog population in Baku. IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science. 2021; 5 (2): 70–77.

18. Peyvəndləmə. Режим доступа: http://www.axa.gov.az/uploads/files/services/peyven-1666351306.pdf. (in Azerbaijani)

19. Hampson K., Coudeville L., Lembo T., Sambo M., Kieffer A., Attlan M., et al. Estimating the global burden of endemic canine rabies. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 2015; 9 (4):e0003709. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003709.

20. Botvinkin A. D., Zarva I. D., Meltsоv I. V., Chupin S. A., Poleshchuk E. M., Zinyakov N. G. et al. Rabies re-emergence after long-term disease freedom (Amur Oblast, Russia). Veterinary Science Today. 2022; 11 (4): 309–318. DOI: 10.29326/2304-196X-2022-11-4-309-318.

21. McGettigan J. P., Pomerantz R. J., Siler C. A., McKenna P. M., Foley H. D., Dietzschold B., Schnell M. J. Second-generation rabies virus-based vaccine vectors expressing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gag have greatly reduced pathogenicity but are highly immunogenic. J. Virol. 2003; 77 (1): 237–244. DOI: 10.1128/jvi.77.1.237-244.2003.

22. Altizer S., Dobson A., Hosseini P., Hudson P., Pascual M., Rohani P. Seasonality and the dynamics of infectious diseases. Ecol. Lett. 2006; 9 (4): 467–484. DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00879.x.

23. Medeiros R., Jusot V., Houillon G., Rasuli A., Martorelli L., Kataoka A. P., et al. Persistence of rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies after vaccination of rural population following vampire bat rabies outbreak in Brazil. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 2016; 10 (9):e0004920. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004920.

24. Wallace R. M., Undurraga E. A., Blanton J. D., Cleaton J., Franka R. Elimination of dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030: needs assessment and alternatives for progress based on dog vaccination. Front. Vet. Sci. 2017; 4:9. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00009.

25. Acharya K. P., AcharyaN., Phuyal S., Upadhyaya M., Lasee S. One-health approach: a best possible way to control rabies. One Health. 2020; 10:100161. DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2020.100161.

26. Fuglei E., Ims R. A. Global warming and effects on the Arctic fox. Sci. Prog. 2008; 91 (Pt 2): 175–191. DOI: 10.3184/003685008X327468.

27. Hasanov N. A., Guliyeva G. G. New research directions of bats in Azerbaijan – bats as a potential reservoir ofsome zoonotic diseases. Journal of Life Sciences & Biomedicine. 2020; 75 (2): 94–100. DOI: 10.29228/jlsb.67.

28. Lord K., Feinstein M., Smith B., Coppinger R. Variation in reproductive traits of members of the genus Canis with special attention to the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). Behav. Processes. 2013; 92: 131–142. DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2012.10.009.

29.