Dog-bites, rabies and One Health: Towards improved coordination in research, policy and practice

Rock, Melanie; Rault, Dawn; Degeling, Chris

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.06.036

Cited by 30 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Such inequities might revolve around ethnicity, class and gender, and we would argue, also around species. Tackling canine rabies has favour as the most efficient way of eliminating human rabies because of the difficulties in achieving adequate coverage of (human) post-exposure prophylaxis and rabies awareness (Cleaveland et al, 2006;Hampson et al, 2015;Lavan et al, 2017;Rock et al, 2017). In other words, it is simpler to intervene on dogs than work with people.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reorienting rabies research and practice: Lessons from India

Srinivasan

Kurz

Kuttuva³

et al. 2019

Palgrave Commun

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In this article, we reflect on the institutional and everyday realities of peoplestreet dog relations in India to develop a case for decolonised approaches to rabies and other zoonoses. Dog-mediated rabies in Asia and Africa continues be a major concern in transnational public health agendas despite extensive research and knowledge on its prevention. In India, which carries 35% of the global rabies burden and has large street dog populations, One Health-oriented dog population management programmes have been central to the control of this zoonotic disease. Yet, rabies continues to be a significant problem in the country. In this article, we address this impasse in rabies research and practice through investigations of interactions between people, policy, and street dogs. Drawing primarily on field and archival research in Chennai city, we track how street dogs are perceived by people, explore how these animals have come into interface with (public) health concerns over time, and examine the biosocial conditions that frame people-dog conflict (and thereby rabies). These analyses create a picture of the multidimensional character of people-dog relations to offer new insights on why One Health-oriented rabies initiatives have not borne out their full promise. In effect, the article makes a case for a shift in public health orientations-away from intervening on these animals as vectors to be managed, and towards enabling multispecies habitats. This, we argue, requires the decolonisation of approaches to dog-mediated rabies, and expanded conceptions of 'healthy more-than-human publics'. In conclusion, the article chalks out broader implications for public health approaches to zoonoses in a world marked by mutual risk and vulnerability that cuts across human and nonhuman animals.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reorienting rabies research and practice: Lessons from India

Srinivasan

Kurz

Kuttuva³

et al. 2019

Palgrave Commun

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“…Rabies still kills thousands of people each year (Hampson et al, ) and many cases result from bites of rabid dogs (Rock, Rault, & Degeling, ), which are also lethal victims of the disease. As human and animal cases can be prevented through adequate dog vaccination coverage, it is essential to estimate, monitor and adjust this coverage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Size, spatial and household distribution, and rabies vaccination coverage of the Brazilian owned‐dog population

Baquero

Queiroz

2019

Transbound Emerg Dis

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Dog rabies and human rabies transmitted by dogs can be prevented through adequate dog vaccination coverage. For surveillance purposes, this coverage must be calculated using accurate population size estimates to avoid misleading conclusions. We used data from a Brazilian national survey comprising 64,348 households, to calculate point estimates and confidence intervals of the size, household density, and rabies vaccination coverage of the owned‐dog population in Brazilian federative units. We also evaluated the precision of owned‐dog population size estimates, based on the extrapolation among different areas, of the mean number of dogs per household and the human/dog ratio. The estimated owned‐dog population size in Brazil was 52,198,324 (95% CI = 51,028,583–53,368,066) and the dog vaccination coverage was 80.09% (95% CI = 79.09%–81.09%). Both estimates had marked variation across Brazilian federative units and urban/rural strata. Only two of the 27 federative units had a confidence interval in rural vaccination coverage above 70% and six did not pass this threshold in their urban stratum. For the first time, we reported probabilistic estimates for an entire country and its main administrative areas. The estimated coverage for the country was high because the most populated federative unit also had high coverage. The mean number of dogs per household and the human/dog ratio were useful as survey estimates to characterize owned‐dog density. However, the simple extrapolation of these parameters resulted in estimates of owned‐dog population sizes with large errors (up to 254%) that must be interpreted with caution to avoid misleading conclusions. To evaluate the dog population size, we recommend the use of probabilistic sampling designs instead of simple human/dog ratio extrapolations, and the inclusion of animal‐related questions in censuses and national surveys to obtain reliable estimates to support improvements in animal and human health.

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“…Moreover, practical resolution when seeking to promote One Health requires case‐by‐case analysis, as well as reflection on explicit and implicit priorities in policy and programming (Rock and Degeling , Rock et al . , Toohey and Rock ). In this article, by attending to how qualified veterinarians have described practical dilemmas that they have experienced, we hope to have demonstrated the value of critical theory and qualitative methodologies for grappling with One Health promotion and ethics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…With few exceptions, only veterinarians can vaccinate non‐human animals against rabies and other zoonotic infections in wealthier countries (Rock et al . ). Furthermore, veterinarians typically perform vaccinations on a fee‐for‐service basis, and veterinary services are often unavailable.…”

Section: More‐than‐human Solidarity One Health and Veterinary Servicesmentioning

confidence: 97%

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From more‐than‐human solidarity to multi‐species biographical value: insights from a veterinary school about ethical dilemmas in One Health promotion

Rock

Degeling

Adams

2020

Sociology Health & Illness

Self Cite

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This article features a partnership between a veterinary school and a charity that aims to enhance the wellbeing of low-income people. Through this partnership, the charity periodically hosts veterinary clinics for clients and their pets. Even as the veterinarians and veterinary students duly examine people's pets, these pop-up clinics aim to help people and their pets. Hence our analysis revolves around the ethics of 'more-than-human solidarity'. By 'more-than-human solidarity', we mean efforts to help others that either center on or that implicate non-human beings. To delve into the ethical and sociological implications of subsidised veterinary services, and to assist with program planning, we conducted several in-depth interviews with veterinarians. Most substantively, we found that the veterinary school's outreach clinics give rise to multi-species biographical value, which is prized as a pedagogical resource for veterinary students. The veterinarians whom we interviewed felt troubled by the extent to which the pop-up clinics ultimately benefited the veterinary school, but also by the shortage of subsidised veterinary services in the vicinity. Based on these interviews and our own reflections, we invite more scholarship on cultural, economic and political influences that shape the lives of human beings and non-human animals alike.

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Dog-bites, rabies and One Health: Towards improved coordination in research, policy and practice

Cited by 30 publications

References 51 publications

Reorienting rabies research and practice: Lessons from India

Reorienting rabies research and practice: Lessons from India

Size, spatial and household distribution, and rabies vaccination coverage of the Brazilian owned‐dog population

From more‐than‐human solidarity to multi‐species biographical value: insights from a veterinary school about ethical dilemmas in One Health promotion

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