RESUMO

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropuncata) is a rabies reservoir in Puerto Rico and accounts for over 70% of reported animal rabies cases annually. The presence of rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) is often used as a tool to measure exposure to rabies virus in wildlife populations. We conducted a serosurvey of mongooses at 11 sites representing six habitat types across Puerto Rico. We collected a serum sample from 464 individual mongooses during 2014-21. Overall, 80/464 (17.0%; 95% confidence interval, 14.1-20.9%; 55 male, 23 female, and two sexes not recorded) of individual mongooses sampled across all habitats were RVNA positive. The geometric mean (SD) RVNA titer for 80 unique seropositive animals was 0.58 (2.92) IU/mL. Our models indicated that the probability of mongooses being RVNA seropositive mostly varied by habitat, with some influence of sex in the individual-level analyses. Population-level RVNA seroprevalence is dynamic in mongoose populations, but these data may shed light on rabies virus transmission across regions to help inform rabies management activities in Puerto Rico.

Assuntos

Herpestidae , Vacina Antirrábica , Vírus da Raiva , Raiva , Animais , Masculino , Feminino , Raiva/epidemiologia , Raiva/veterinária , Porto Rico/epidemiologia , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Anticorpos Antivirais

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To provide epidemiological information on animal and human cases of rabies occurring in the United States during 2019 and summaries of 2019 rabies surveillance for Canada and Mexico. ANIMALS: All animals submitted for laboratory diagnosis of rabies in the United States during 2019. PROCEDURES: State and territorial public health departments and USDA Wildlife Services provided data on animals submitted for rabies testing in the United States during 2019. Data were analyzed temporally and geographically to assess trends in domestic and wildlife rabies cases. RESULTS: During 2019, 53 jurisdictions submitted 97,523 animal samples for rabies testing, of which 94,770 (97.2%) had a conclusive (positive or negative) test result. Of these, 4,690 tested positive for rabies, representing a 5.3% decrease from the 4,951 cases reported in 2018. Texas (n = 565 [12.0%]), New York (391 [8.3%]), Virginia (385 [8.2%]), North Carolina (315 [6.7%]), California (276 [5.9%]), and Maryland (269 [5.7%]) together accounted for almost half of all animal rabies cases reported in 2019. Of the total reported rabid animals, 4,305 (91.8%) were wildlife, with raccoons (n = 1,545 [32.9%]), bats (1,387 [29.6%]), skunks (915 [19.5%]), and foxes (361 [7.7%]) as the primary species confirmed with rabies. Rabid cats (n = 245 [5.2%]) and dogs (66 [1.4%]) accounted for > 80% of rabies cases involving domestic animals in 2019. No human rabies cases were reported in 2019. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The overall number of animal rabies cases decreased from 2018 to 2019. Laboratory diagnosis of rabies in animals is critical to ensure that human rabies postexposure prophylaxis is administered judiciously.

Assuntos

Doenças do Gato , Quirópteros , Doenças do Cão , Raiva , Animais , Animais Domésticos , Animais Selvagens , Canadá , Gatos , Doenças do Cão/epidemiologia , Cães , México , New York , North Carolina , Vigilância da População , Raiva/epidemiologia , Raiva/prevenção & controle , Raiva/veterinária , Guaxinins , Texas , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia , Virginia

RESUMO

The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) is a rabies reservoir in areas of the Caribbean including Puerto Rico, but no rabies vaccination program targeting this host exists. We used two derivatives of iophenoxic acid (IPA) to evaluate placebo oral rabies vaccine bait uptake by mongooses in southwestern Puerto Rico. We hand-distributed baits at an application rate of 200 baits/km2 at three, 400 ha, sites during autumn 2016 and spring 2017. Each site contained 90-100 cage traps in a 100 ha central trapping area. We used ethyl-IPA as a biological marker during the autumn and methyl-IPA during the spring. We live captured mongooses for 10 consecutive days, beginning 1 wk following bait application. We obtained a serum sample from captured mongooses and analyzed the sera for ethyl- and methyl-IPA by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. During autumn 2016, 63% (55/87) mongooses sampled were positive for ethyl-IPA. In spring 2017, 69% (85/123) of mongooses were positive for methyl-IPA. Pooling seasons, accounting for recaptures between years, and disregarding marker type, 74% (133/179) unique mongooses were positive for IPA biomarker, indicating bait consumption during either the autumn, spring, or both trials. We conclude that distributing baits at an application rate of 200 baits/km2 is sufficient to reach over 60% of the target mongoose population in dry forest habitats of Puerto Rico.

Assuntos

Reservatórios de Doenças/veterinária , Vacina Antirrábica/imunologia , Raiva/veterinária , Administração Oral , Animais , Biomarcadores/sangue , Reservatórios de Doenças/virologia , Herpestidae , Hispânico ou Latino , Ácido Iopanoico/administração & dosagem , Ácido Iopanoico/metabolismo , Porto Rico , Raiva/prevenção & controle , Vacina Antirrábica/administração & dosagem , Vacinação

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate species identification and rabies virus (RABV) characterization among samples from bats submitted for rabies testing in the United States and assess whether a standardized approach to specimen selection for RABV characterization could enhance detection of a sentinel event in virus dissemination among bats. SAMPLE: United States public health rabies surveillance system data collected in January 2010 through December 2015. PROCEDURES: The number of rabies-tested bats for which species was reported and the number of RABV-positive samples for which virus characterization would likely provide information regarding introduction of novel RABV variants and translocation and host-shift events were calculated. These specimens were designated as specimens of epizootiological importance (SEIs). Additionally, the estimated test load that public health laboratories could expect if all SEIs underwent RABV characterization was determined. RESULTS: Species was reported for 74,928 of 160,017 (47%) bats submitted for rabies testing. Identified SEIs were grouped in 3 subcategories, namely nonindigenous bats; bats in southern border states, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands; and bats of species that are not commonly found to be inflected with RABV. Annually, 692 (95% CI, 600 to 784) SEIs were identified, of which only 295 (95% CI, 148 to 442) underwent virus characterization. Virus characterization of all SEIs would be expected to increase public health laboratories' overall test load by 397 (95% CI, 287 to 506) samples each year. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Species identification and RABV characterization may aid detection of a sentinel event in bat RABV dissemination. With additional resources, RABV characterization of all SEIs as a standardized approach to testing could contribute to knowledge of circulating bat RABV variants.

Assuntos

Quirópteros , Vírus da Raiva , Raiva/veterinária , Animais , Florida , Porto Rico , Estados Unidos

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Enumerating dog populations is essential to plan and evaluate rabies vaccination campaigns. To estimate vaccination coverage and dog population size in a Haitian commune, 15 sight-resight counts were conducted over two days following a government-sponsored vaccination campaign. METHODS: Dogs received temporary laminated collars and livestock wax marks on the head and sides at the time of rabies vaccination. After the vaccination campaign, pairs of surveyors walked pre-defined routes through targeted neighborhoods, photographing and recording characteristics and location of each dog seen on a standardized data sheet. On the second survey day, surveyors retraced the prior day's track, followed the same procedure, and indicated in addition whether they believed the dogs were resighted from the prior day. After completion of the field survey, two independent evaluators reviewed photographs and characteristics of each dog to assess which had vaccination marks and which were resighted. Surveyor and photo-reviewer sight-resight decisions were compared using Cohen's kappa, and population estimates were compared using Lincoln-Petersen 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Field-surveyors identified dogs consistent with the photograph evaluations in 629 out of 800 instances (78.6%, Cohen's kappa of 0.12). Despite this inconsistency, the population estimates resulting from the field and final determinations were not significantly different at 1,789 (95% CI 1,677 to 1,901) and 1,978 (95% CI 1,839 to 2,118). Vaccination coverage was also the same at 55% and 56%; however, an observed vaccination mark loss of 13.8% suggests that the true coverage may have been closer to 64%. CONCLUSION: Using photos improved dog identification during the sight-resight study, leading to a higher population estimate. Despite using a 2-mark system to temporarily identify vaccinated dogs, a significant proportion had lost all identifying marks by the second day of field surveys. Efforts to estimate vaccination coverage using sight-resight surveys should consider improvement of marking techniques or better accounting for potential loss of marks in their free-roaming dog vaccination coverage assessments.