Emergency response using oral rabies vaccination of dogs –field data from Namibia demonstrate high efficiency
Conrad M. Freuling,
Frank Busch,
Mainelo Beatrice Shikongo,
Nzwana Silume,
Jolandie van der Westhuizen,
Siegfried Khaiseb,
Albertina Shilongo,
Thomas Müller
Affiliations
Conrad M. Freuling
Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; Corresponding author.
Frank Busch
Institute of International Animal Health/One Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
Mainelo Beatrice Shikongo
Animal Disease Control, Zambezi Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, State Veterinary Office, Katima Mulilo, Namibia
Nzwana Silume
Animal Disease Control, Zambezi Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Land Reform, Directorate of Veterinary Services, State Veterinary Office, Katima Mulilo, Namibia
Jolandie van der Westhuizen
Central Veterinary Laboratory, Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), Ministry of Agriculture Water and Land Reform, Windhoek, Namibia
Siegfried Khaiseb
Central Veterinary Laboratory, Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), Ministry of Agriculture Water and Land Reform, Windhoek, Namibia
Albertina Shilongo
Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), Ministry of Agriculture Water and Land Reform, Windhoek, Namibia
Thomas Müller
Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
Dog-mediated rabies is responsible for tens of thousands of human deaths annually, and in resource-constrained settings, vaccinating dogs to control the disease at source remains challenging for various reasons. Currently, rabies elimination efforts rely on mass dog vaccination by the parenteral route. While oral rabies vaccination (ORV) of dogs is primarily considered a tool to increase herd immunity, particularly by targeting free-roaming and stray dogs, here, we are showcasing an ORV-only approach as an emergency response model. Using a third-generation vaccine and a standardized egg-flavored bait, we assessed the effectiveness and vaccination under field conditions in the Zambezi region of Namibia. During this trial, with four teams and within four working days, 3097 dogs were offered a bait, of which 88,0% were considered vaccinated. Teams managed to vaccinate, on average, over 20 dogs/h, despite using a door-to-door vaccination approach.The favorable results both in terms of bait acceptance and successful vaccination as well as field applicability and effectiveness further support the great potential of ORV in dog rabies control programmes.
