Estimating the Size of Dog Populations in Tanzania to Inform Rabies Control

Estimates of dog population sizes are a prerequisite for delivering effective canine rabies control. However, dog population sizes are generally unknown in most rabies-endemic areas. Several approaches have been used to estimate dog populations but without rigorous evaluation. We compare post-vaccination transects, household surveys and school-based surveys to determine which most precisely estimates dog population sizes. These methods were implemented across 28 districts in southeast Tanzania, in conjunction with mass dog vaccinations, covering a range of settings, livelihoods and religious backgrounds. Transects were the most precise method, revealing highly variable patterns of dog ownership, with human: dog ratios ranging from 12.4:1 to 181.3:1 across districts. Both household and school-based surveys generated imprecise and sometimes inaccurate estimates, possible due to low sample size. Transect data were subsequently used to develop a predictive model for estimating dog populations in districts lacking transect data. We predicted a dog population of 2,316,000 (95% CI 1,573,000-3,122,000) in Tanzania and an average human: dog ratio of 20.7:1. Our modelling approach has the potential be applied to predicting dog population size in other districts where mass dog vaccination is carried out, given census and livelihood data. We recommend transects as a rapid and effective method to refine dog population estimates across large geographic areas and guide dog vaccination programs.

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Estimating the Size of Dog Populations in Tanzania to Inform Rabies Control

Veterinary Sciences ◽

10.3390/vetsci5030077 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 77 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Maganga Sambo ◽

Katie Hampson ◽

Joel Changalucha ◽

Sarah Cleaveland ◽

Tiziana Lembo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Small Sample ◽

Rigorous Evaluation ◽

Post Vaccination ◽

Canine Rabies ◽

School Based ◽

Dog Ownership ◽

Rabies Control ◽

Population Sizes ◽

Small Sample Sizes ◽

Modelling Approach

Estimates of dog population sizes are a prerequisite for delivering effective canine rabies control. However, dog population sizes are generally unknown in most rabies-endemic areas. Several approaches have been used to estimate dog populations but without rigorous evaluation. We compare post-vaccination transects, household surveys, and school-based surveys to determine which most precisely estimates dog population sizes. These methods were implemented across 28 districts in southeast Tanzania, in conjunction with mass dog vaccinations, covering a range of settings, livelihoods, and religious backgrounds. Transects were the most precise method, revealing highly variable patterns of dog ownership, with human/dog ratios ranging from 12.4:1 to 181.3:1 across districts. Both household and school-based surveys generated imprecise and, sometimes, inaccurate estimates, due to small sample sizes in relation to the heterogeneity in patterns of dog ownership. Transect data were subsequently used to develop a predictive model for estimating dog populations in districts lacking transect data. We predicted a dog population of 2,316,000 (95% CI 1,573,000–3,122,000) in Tanzania and an average human/dog ratio of 20.7:1. Our modelling approach has the potential to be applied to predicting dog population sizes in other areas where mass dog vaccinations are planned, given census and livelihood data. Furthermore, we recommend post-vaccination transects as a rapid and effective method to refine dog population estimates across large geographic areas and to guide dog vaccination programmes in settings with mostly free roaming dog populations.

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Surveillance Opportunities and the Need for Intersectoral Collaboration on Rabies in Sri Lanka

Journal of Veterinary Medicine ◽

10.1155/2019/7808517 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Pushpakumara Don Bamunusinghage Nihal ◽

Ashoka Dangolla ◽

Ranjani Hettiarachchi ◽

Preeni Abeynayake ◽

Craig Stephen

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Animal Health ◽

Control Programme ◽

Human Rabies ◽

Intersectoral Collaboration ◽

Government Organizations ◽

Canine Rabies ◽

Lack Of Information ◽

Rabies Control ◽

Population Sizes

Sri Lanka is progressing towards its goal of eliminating human rabies. This goal rests on programs designed to limit canine rabies, which in turn requires a combination of targeted dog rabies control and a better understanding of the movement of the virus between domestic animals, people, and wildlife. Coordinated and integrated surveillance of the disease between human and animal health sectors underpins successful rabies elimination. Our objective was to review surveillance data from 2005 to 2014 to assemble the first multispecies synthesis of rabies information in Sri Lanka and, in doing so, assess needs and opportunities for a One Health approach to rabies surveillance in the country. Our descriptive epidemiological findings were consistent with other studies showing a decline in human cases, endemic and unchanging numbers of dog cases, a relationship between human density and the occurrence of human and animal cases, and significant gaps in understanding trends in rabies incidences in livestock and wildlife. Assessing the trends in the data from the three government organizations responsible for rabies surveillance was difficult due to lack of information on animal population sizes, unquantified sampling biases due to inequities in access to diagnostic capacities, regulatory and administrative barriers, and a continued reliance on clinical means to establish a diagnosis. The information required for a comprehensive rabies control programme was not standardized or consistent, was not in one place, showed significant gaps in completeness, and was not amenable to routine and rapid analysis. Achieving rabies elimination in Sri Lanka would benefit from harmonization of diagnostic and information management standards across animal and human health sectors as well as equitable access to diagnostic capacity for all regions and species.

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Predictors of free-roaming domestic dogs' contact network centrality and their relevance for rabies control

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-92308-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Charlotte Warembourg ◽

Guillaume Fournié ◽

Mahamat Fayiz Abakar ◽

Danilo Alvarez ◽

Monica Berger-González ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Transmission ◽

Small World ◽

Domestic Dogs ◽

Contact Network ◽

Potential Contribution ◽

Dog Ownership ◽

Contact Patterns ◽

Rabies Control ◽

The Social ◽

Study Sites

AbstractFree roaming domestic dogs (FRDD) are the main vectors for rabies transmission to humans worldwide. To eradicate rabies from a dog population, current recommendations focus on random vaccination with at least 70% coverage. Studies suggest that targeting high-risk subpopulations could reduce the required vaccination coverage, and increase the likelihood of success of elimination campaigns. The centrality of a dog in a contact network can be used as a measure of its potential contribution to disease transmission. Our objectives were to investigate social networks of FRDD in eleven study sites in Chad, Guatemala, Indonesia and Uganda, and to identify characteristics of dogs, and their owners, associated with their centrality in the networks. In all study sites, networks had small-world properties and right-skewed degree distributions, suggesting that vaccinating highly connected dogs would be more effective than random vaccination. Dogs were more connected in rural than urban settings, and the likelihood of contacts was negatively correlated with the distance between dogs’ households. While heterogeneity in dog's connectedness was observed in all networks, factors predicting centrality and likelihood of contacts varied across networks and countries. We therefore hypothesize that the investigated dog and owner characteristics resulted in different contact patterns depending on the social, cultural and economic context. We suggest to invest into understanding of the sociocultural structures impacting dog ownership and thus driving dog ecology, a requirement to assess the potential of targeted vaccination in dog populations.

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Scar Formation and Tuberculin Conversion Following BCG

10.53350/pjmhs2115113056 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. 3056-3057

Author(s):

Muhammad Sarfraz ◽

Zahid Jamil ◽

Muhammad Naim Ashraf ◽

Saima Arshad ◽

Zirwa Sarfraz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skin Testing ◽

Case Series ◽

Operational Definition ◽

Scar Formation ◽

Bcg Vaccine ◽

Base Line ◽

Positive Skin ◽

Post Vaccination ◽

Vaccination Programs ◽

Bcg Vaccination

Objective: To determine frequency of scar formation and positive tuberculin conversion test following BCG vaccine administered within 0-28 days of life in children in 6 months to 6 years of age presenting at outpatient department of Fauji Foundation Hospital Lahore. Study Design: Descriptive case series. Place and Duration of Study: Outdoor Department of Pediatrics, Fauji Foundation Hospital, Lahore from 1st July 2020 to 30th December 2020. Methodology: Ninety seven children were included. Base line demographic information of patients (age, gender, weight on weight machine) was recorded. 0.5 ml BCG was administered in right arm. Tuberculin skin test was assessed as per operational definition. After 48 to 72 hours, scar formation was assessed after 1 month. Data regarding scar formation and positive tuberculin conversion test was recorded. Results: The mean age was 3.20±1.46 years, 39 (40.21%) were male whereas 58 (59.79%) were females. The scar formation following BCG vaccine administered within 0-28 days of life in children in 6 months to 6 years of age was 59 (60.82%) and positive tuberculin conversion test following BCG vaccine administered within 0-28 days of life in children in 6 months to 6 years was recorded in 47 (48.45%). Conclusion: Most babies have developed a post-vaccination scar. The combination of the BCG scar and the positive skin testing tuberculin was very important. The development of BCG scars had no effect on age or sex. Greater trials are advised in order to detect the true extent of the problem and to evaluate regularly the BCG vaccination programs. Keywords: Infants, Tuberculosis, BCG vaccination, Scar formation, Positive tuberculin conversion test

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Rabies Ecology in Bauchi State, Nigeria

Journal of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences ◽

10.36108/jvbs/9102.20.0120 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 5-12

Author(s):

Bolajoko Muhammad-Bashir ◽

Yakubu Joel Atuman

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cost Effective ◽

The State ◽

Control Measures ◽

P Value ◽

Public Health Implication ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Canine Rabies ◽

Dog Ownership ◽

Dog Owners

Despite availability of safer and cost-effective treatments and vaccines, rabies is still considered among the most fatal viral zoonotic disease worldwide. The epidemiology of rabies is directly associated with the ecology of the reservoirs which needs better understanding to underpin appropriate control measures. There are only few reported attempts made towards understanding the ecology of dog and rabies cases in Nigeria. Although dogs are tolerated and kept in Bauchi State, the risk factors associated with dog ownership in the state, remain to be studied. This study is aimed at determining the risk factors associated with dog ownership in Bauchi state and to evaluate the degree with which the presence or absence of the identified factors can increase or decrease risk of rabies cases in the state. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted amongst dog owners across the state. Basic descriptive analyses were carried out in Microsoft Excel 2016 and IBM SPSS 21 was used to determine the relative risk (RR) of rabies occurrence in households across the state when exposed to each of the identified risk factors where P-value was set at 0.05. A total of 80 questionnaires were completed and received from the respondents. The calculated RR, revealed that the practice of extensive system of management increases the risk of canine rabies amongst dogs of the state by 80% and knowledge of dog owners about canine rabies reduces the risk of canine rabies by 27%. This study confirmed that dogs are owned and tolerated but poorly managed under extensive management system in Bauchi state with increasing risks of rabies spread due to low vaccination coverage and lack of practical application of knowledge on the dangers of rabies amongst the populace. The public health implication of this situation and the need for concerted efforts for sustainable control of rabies in the state is discussed

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Investigating Stakeholder Attitudes and Opinions on School-Based Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Programs

Journal of School Health ◽

10.1111/josh.12253 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 85 (5) ◽

pp. 289-298 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Jessica A. Nodulman ◽

Randall Starling ◽

Alberta S. Kong ◽

David B. Buller ◽

Cosette M. Wheeler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Papillomavirus ◽

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination ◽

Vaccination Programs ◽

School Based ◽

Stakeholder Attitudes

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Nurse Volunteers in School-Based Hepatitis B Immunization Programs

The Journal of School Nursing ◽

10.1177/10598405010170040301 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 185-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Hayley Mark ◽

Verna G. Conklin ◽

Margaret C. Wolfe

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis B Virus ◽

Hepatitis B ◽

School Health ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Local Health ◽

Vaccination Programs ◽

School Year ◽

School Based ◽

B Virus ◽

And Training

School districts across the nation are implementing school-based hepatitis B virus vaccination programs. Because adolescents are at risk of contracting hepatitis B virus, these programs are important in preventing infections. Critical to the success of these programs is having qualified and cost-effective health professionals to administer the vaccine. This article describes the recruitment and training of professional nurse volunteers to administer vaccines in school-based clinics. During the 1998–1999 school year, approximately 60 nurses in Durham, North Carolina, volunteered 300 hours of time to the program. In the first year, the cost of recruiting and training volunteers exceeded the savings from salaried school nurse time. However, savings are expected in future years. Other benefits of recruiting volunteers to administer vaccine include allowing school nurses to remain in their usual assignments, increasing awareness of the health department’s mission and school health in the community, and improving collaboration among local health agencies.

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Evaluating the role of surgical sterilisation in canine rabies control: A systematic review of impact and outcomes

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0008497 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (8) ◽

pp. e0008497 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Abi Collinson ◽

Malcolm Bennett ◽

Marnie L. Brennan ◽

Rachel S. Dean ◽

Jenny Stavisky

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Canine Rabies ◽

Rabies Control

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Factors Lowering Levels of Rabies Vaccination: A case of Kibaha Town District of Tanzania

Tanzania Veterinary Journal ◽

10.4314/tvj.v37i.8s ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 37 ◽

pp. 54-63

Author(s):

F.M. Chikoondo ◽

K.S. Majid ◽

C.A.R. Mpelumbe-Ngeleja

Keyword(s):

Negative Attitude ◽

Control Programme ◽

Microsoft Excel ◽

Chi Square ◽

Dog Ownership ◽

Rabies Control ◽

Chi Square Test ◽

Rabies Vaccination ◽

Linear Trends ◽

Structured Questionnaire

A study was conducted in Kibaha Town Council of Pwani Region of Tanzania to survey the probable factors that negatively affected the anti-rabies vaccinations leading to low percent coverage in some selected wards. The data used in this study were gathered from households keeping dogs and cats and institutions, using a semi-structured questionnaire and interviews. Another set of data was the record of the rabies control programme at the district veterinary office. Analysis of the data was done using SPSS.16, Microsoft Excel 2007 and EpiInfoTM7. The enquiry instrument centred on three main fields, namely, knowledge of respondents about rabies, responsible dog ownership and their perception of issues pertaining to the conduct of the rabies control programme. The results showed that the last round of vaccination covered dogs for 57% of the sampled households in the selected wards. A huge percentage of the respondents (64%) kept the wrong perception that clinical rabies could be cured. Only 34% of the respondents indicated that they had been taught about rabies in a WHO project area. It was also learnt that there was an outbreak of rabies in the district after 2 years of consecutively vaccinating the dogs in the area. The Chi- square test for linear trends showed very highly significant statistical differences in the progression of numbers of dogs vaccinated over the years (p<0.05; = 0.0000). This study concludes that, lack of sufficient knowledge on rabies and negative attitude towards the control programme were the biggest drawbacks on the vaccination coverage.

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