Improving systematic rabies surveillance in Cameroon: A pilot initiative and results for 2014-2016

The objective of this observational cohort study was to describe the incidence and characteristics of reported exposures and human and animal rabies cases following this reinforcement of the e xisting rabies surveillance system. The surveillance network consisted of local, regional, and national health and veterinary authorities in 11 of the 20 West region districts, and was completely integrated within the existing national rabies surveillance network. Animal exposures and suspected rabi es exposures, the suspected rabid animals involved, and laboratory confirmation of human and animal rabies cases were recorded in a centralized information database. Between January 2014 and June 2016, the network recorded 1340 animal exposure cases for an overall incidence rate of 38.2 animal expos ures per 100,000 people, four confirmed rabies-positive animals, and one confirmed human rabies case out of four clinically suspected cases. In contrast, 62 animal exposures and an overall incidence rate of 6.1 exposures per 100,000 people were reported for the West region districts not participatin g in the reinforced surveillance. Of the 925 animal exposure victims for whom a detailed case report form was completed, 703 were considered to be at risk of rabies and only 428 (61%) of these received any post-exposure prophylaxis in the form of rabies vaccine. Obstacles encountered within the netw ork included low rates of animal sample submission and animal follow-up by veterinarians. Reinforced ra...
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research