Rabies – One-Health Approach towards Prevention and Control
N.Balamurugan1, M.Hariharan1, M.Nithya Quintoil2 and A.Varun2
1Field Veterinarian, Puducherry
2Assistant Professor, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research
INTRODUCTION:
As the global human population rises, the demand for reserves also rises, reflecting the destruction of animal reserves and their habitats leading to involuntary interactions between humans and animals. This situation has resulted in the transmission of certain diseases from animals to humans causing various imbalances in the ecosystem. The transmission of disease organisms from one species to another species is known as Zoonosis. Those transmissions occur via various routes like air, droplets, direct and indirect contact. Some diseases are life-threatening to most species, creating a slit in the normal ecosystem. In order to overcome these problems, the concept of one health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. It recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent. Rabies a deadly viral zoonotic disease is the most common killing disease in most of the developing countries. This article describes about the evolution, transmission, approaching rabies in one health face and steps to control the spread of the virus among all the species.
EVOLUTION AND TRANSMISSION OF RABIES:
Rabies is a bullet shaped RNA virus from the family of lyssa viruses in Rhabdoviridae. It is a neurotrophic virus which propagates and multiplies only through the nerves and nerve cells especially brain cells. Then the virus disseminates to the organs causing the nervous signs and secreting the virus in various body secretions. The mode of transmission, multiplication and dissemination are common to all species except bats. Usually, other animals show clinical signs and disease prevalence but in case of bats, the virus persists in them but they doesn’t get affected. There is also a theory that the virus has originated from the wild bats when then transferred to the carnivores further distributed across the world. They propagate and affect only mammals as their cells only have the capacity to carry and host the viruses. Usually the animal or human exhibit the clinical signs after full incubation period. Before that, the secretions also doesn’t carry the virus. The prominent clinical signs are hypersalivation, seizures, hyperexcitability, inability to take water and food due to mandibular paralysis. Mostly the disease spread from carnivores especially dogs. The bite of an infected animal transmit the virus to the new host carrying the chain of infection through infecting other hosts mostly by bites and other routes. Since the virus propagates through the nerves, there is no treatment for the cure of the disease. Only symptomatic treatment are possible but it also has not much beneficial to the affected animal or human. Hence, this plays a major role in the death rate in accordance with the zoonotic diseases. Only prevention can decrease the prevalence and post bite transmission.
ONE HEALTH FOR RABIES:
Since Rabies is a deadly zoonotic and mortality is 100% in case of rabies, one health approach is needed to decrease its prevalence among both humans and animals. Every year rabies is killing around 59,000 humans all around the globe. The primary transmitter of rabies is carnivores especially stray dogs. They often get the virus from other rabies infected dogs and thier infection often goes unnoticed. Like these the infection spread out among them and when human or other species encounter them by accident, the rabid dog transmits the organisms into them by means of saliva and bite. Since it is a neurotrophic viral disease no medications or antibodies can destroy them after they gain access into the nervous system. The incubation period varies from short to long term based on the distance of the site of entry of virus to the central nervous system. In order to reduce the occurence of this disease overall approach should be made involving the true hosts (bats), reservoir and carriers (carnivores) and dead end hosts (humans and ruminants) and their ecosystem. Even though the Ruminants and humans are being considered as a dead-end host for rabies, it is yet to prove that their secretion and saliva doesn’t carry virus. So, it is always better to stay from the affected and suspected ones as a precautionary measure. For the last decade each and every country started to implement measures to regarding the control and prevention of Rabies. Currently human deaths can be prevented and eliminated from the human race by ensuring a systematic one health approach. However in the modern world this deadly ancient disease still threatening around 150 developing countries and millions of people. Rabies incidence is usually high in poor people’s as they lack proper awareness and hygiene. WHO has made a global framework for elimination of dog-mediated rabies in humans by 2030. The United Against Rabies Forum attempting to accelerate progress on rabies elimination by One Health approach. Increased political engagement and resource mobilization, both internationally and nationally, will be needed to achieve global rabies goals and can also make One Health implementation a reality. The major Operations should be carried out from the human side are knowledge and awareness of the disease, reducing the wild and domestic animal interactions, pre-exposure and post-exposure vaccinations, recording and recognizing of the disease, creating a pilot project from government and NGO’s, improving the coordination between the human and animal health professionals. From the Veterinary sectors mass vaccination, animal birth control programs to reduce the stray dog multiplication, making a people to adopt a stray puppy thus reducing the occurrence, promoting pet vaccination and euthanizing of rabid dogs.
PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF RABIES:
The control of rabies in developing countries is only possible by prevention of occurrence by proper pre exposure and post exposure for both humans and animals. The vaccine is cell cultured killed vaccine using beta- propiolactone which is completely safe for vaccination for both pre and post exposure. Pre- exposure vaccinations should be carried out to all dogs and cats which could have a human contact. In case of human’s people who are likely to handle dogs, cats and rabid animals, persons who handle viruses, Veterinary professionals should take pre exposure vaccinations. Post exposure should be carried out for affected persons or animals on the 0th day, 3rd, 7th, 14th and 28th should be given based on primary, secondary or tertiary bites. The post bite vaccinations are given to neutralize the viral antigen which could cause a disease. Species-specific Immunoglobulins can be given at the site of infection or bite which will neutralize the viral antigen at the site of bite itself, so that the possibility of infection can be further reduced. In case of dog bite, the site should be completely washed with soap or disinfectant, no suturing should be done unless it is long laceration and the bite wound should be treated only as an open wound. Mass vaccination by the government or NGOs of stray dogs can help in prevalence of the disease. Prevention is the only method to make an area or country free from rabies. Strict guidelines for vaccination, birth control and euthanasia of rabid animals can pave the way for the rabies free world.
CONCLUSION:
Rabies is a dangerous endemic disease in most of the countries around the world except islands like Australia and Antarctica where no cases of dog-mediated rabies have been reported. Countries like USA, England, Italy, Canada, south and North American and most of the European countries are declared as rabies free countries. High endemic occurrence is mostly seen in Asian and African countries where populations and poverty is high with lack of much awareness about rabies. systemic one health approach with support of local government, people, and voluntary organizations along with World Health Organization could make these countries rabies free which needs an immense efforts and dedications from all sectors of people.
