Emergency Response Using Oral Rabies Vaccination of Dogs –Field Data from Namibia Demonstrate High Efficiency

Freuling, Conrad Martin; Busch, Frank; Shikongo, Mainelo Beatrice; Silume, Nzwana; Westhuizen, Jolandie van der; Khaiseb, Siegfried; Shilongo, Albertina; Mueller, Thomas

doi:10.2139/ssrn.4341088

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…In our setting the costs was USD 6.3, which is similar to cost estimates from Tanzania [37]. Given the limitations of static point vaccinations and the advantages in the effectiveness of ORV [7,38], particularly in free roaming dogs [39], a shift to ORV would not only increase the vaccination coverage particularly in those dogs that are hard-to-reach for parenteral vaccination, but could also save sparse resources [25].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Dog population estimates and rabies vaccination optimization using the High-Resolution Settlement Layer (HRSL) – a proof of principle for the Oshana region, Namibia

Freuling,

Czaja,

Wysocki

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Despite being vaccine preventable, dog-mediated rabies continues unabated in low-resourced countries in Africa and Asia. For interventions into dog rabies control, an estimate of the dog population is a prerequisite. Here we used a High-Resolution Settlement Layer (HRSL) with an unprecedented resolution of 30m grid length that is Open Source for dog populations estimates and studies on vaccination coverages, with the Oshana region of Namibia as an example. Our analyses show that the average dog density per km2is 8.15 but ranges between 0 and 40 per constituency, with individual densities being as high as 551. Spatial analyses for different settings of static vaccination points indicate that the previously used vaccination points during the pilot phase and cattle crush-pens are insufficient for reaching a 70% vaccination level in the Oshana region. Based on cost calculations, between US$6.30 and US$6.86 are needed to parenterally vaccinate dogs in this region, suggesting that oral rabies vaccination may be a cost-effective supplement or even replacement. The high-resolution spatial analyses are exemplified for rabies, but any other One Health intervention, particularly for Neglected tropical diseases in highly heterogenous and remote areas could use our approach as a template.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Dog population estimates and rabies vaccination optimization using the High-Resolution Settlement Layer (HRSL) – a proof of principle for the Oshana region, Namibia

Freuling,

Czaja,

Wysocki

et al. 2023

Preprint

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show abstract

“…For example, mobile CP methods, where vaccination centres on vehicles move through neighbourhoods, combined with DD, maybe a better option when ORV costs are high. For fractious dogs, or staff that have not been trained in injection, oral bait handout with a door-to-door access method is another option that may be a reasonable choice, and has been demonstrated to be highly effective [36]. In the future, it may even be possible to combine oral contraceptives with the oral rabies vaccine bait, to simultaneously reduce population turnover.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimising rabies vaccination of dogs in India

Cuddington,

McAuliffe

2023

Epidemiol. Infect.

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Dog vaccination is the key to controlling rabies in human populations. However, in countries like India, with large free-roaming dog populations, vaccination strategies that rely only on parenteral vaccines are unlikely to be either feasible or successful. Oral rabies vaccines could be used to reach these dogs. We use cost estimates for an Indian city and linear optimisation to find the most cost-effective vaccination strategies. We show that an oral bait handout method for dogs that are never confined can reduce the per dog costs of vaccination and increase vaccine coverage. This finding holds even when baits cost up to 10x the price of parenteral vaccines, if there is a large dog population or proportion of dogs that are never confined. We suggest that oral rabies vaccine baits will be part of the most cost-effective strategies to eliminate human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.

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“…In this context, no comparable wildlife ORV program exists in a LMIC. Today, perhaps the greatest benefit that wildlife ORV may play globally, using safe and effective biologics that have already been field tested using an evidence based-approach, is as a pragmatic real-world example for the oral vaccination of free-ranging dogs (Yale et al 2022;Freuling et al 2023;Megawati Saputra et al 2023; WHO Expert Consultation on Rabies 3 rd consultation). Until the time that canine rabies is eliminated finally, wildlife ORV may be deemed a luxury only for the WEIRD among us (Acharya et al 2022).…”

Section: Additional Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%