Rabies in Saudi Arabia: a need for epidemiological data

Memish, Ziad A.; Assiri, Abdullah M.; Gautret, Philippe

doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2015.03.016

Cited by 20 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Camel rabies outbreaks have occurred mainly in the Middle East in the past few decades [19–20]; however, rabies vaccination in camels has hardly been reported. There are three subclasses of functional immunoglobulins (lgGs) present in the serum of Camelidae: lgG1 is a conventional heterotetrameric antibody, while lgG2 and lgG3 consist only of heavy-chain antibodies (HCAbs) [21].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rabies Outbreaks and Vaccination in Domestic Camels and Cattle in Northwest China

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2016

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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In contrast to many countries where rabies has been well controlled in humans and livestock, even in wildlife, rabies is still endemic in almost regions of China. In Northwest China, rabies transmitted by stray dogs and wild foxes has caused heavy economic losses to local herdsmen, as well as causing numbers of human cases. In this study, as part of an investigation of ways to prevent rabies epidemics in livestock, we report an analysis of domestic cattle and camel rabies cases in Ningxia Hui (NHAR) and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) and the immune efficacy of canine inactivated rabies vaccines in these animals. We found that rabies viruses from these animals are closely related to dog-hosted China I and fox-associated China III lineages, respectively, indicating that the infections originated from two different sources (dogs and wild foxes). As well as the previously reported Arctic and Arctic-related China IV lineage in IMAR, at least three separate phylogenetic groups of rabies virus consistently exist and spread throughout Northwest China. Since there is no licensed oral vaccine for wild foxes and no inactivated vaccine for large livestock, local canine inactivated vaccine products were used for emergency immunization of beef and milk cattle and bactrian (two-humped) camels in local farms. Compared with a single injection with one (low-efficacy) or three doses (high-cost), a single injection of a double dose of canine vaccine provided low-price and convenience for local veterinarians while inducing levels of virus neutralizing antibodies indicative of protection against rabies for at least 1 year in the cattle and camels. However, licensed vaccines for wildlife and large domestic animals are still needed in China.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rabies Outbreaks and Vaccination in Domestic Camels and Cattle in Northwest China

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2016

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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“…A seasonal difference was reported in the occurrence of bites. Nevertheless, according to the most recent data, the Saudi Ministry of Health has reported no human rabies cases for at least 10 years [ 33 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This small country in the Arabian Peninsula has only a single land border with Saudi Arabia and otherwise is surrounded by the Persian Gulf. Although it is not an island, its land border helps Qatar to be one of the few rabies-free countries in the Middle East [ 33 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Perspective on Rabies in the Middle East—Beyond Neglect

Baghi

Alinezhad

Kuzmin

et al. 2018

Veterinary Sciences

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Rabies is a neglected but preventable viral zoonosis that poses a substantial threat to public health. In this regard, a global program has been initiated for the elimination of human rabies caused by rabid dogs through the mass vaccination of canine populations. Geographic areas vary greatly towards attainment of this objective. For example, while dog-mediated and wildlife rabies have been largely controlled in major parts of the Americas and Western Europe, the Middle East still grapples with human rabies transmitted by unvaccinated dogs and cats. Rabies prevention and control in the Middle East is quite difficult because the region is transcontinental, encompassing portions of Africa, Asia, and Europe, while consisting of politically, culturally, and economically diverse countries that are often subject to war and unrest. Consequently, one over-riding dilemma is the misinformation or complete lack of rabies surveillance data from this area. This communication is an attempt to provide an overview of rabies in the Middle East, as a cohesive approach for the honing of disease management in each area, based on data compiled from multiple sources. In addition, the related regional transboundary movement of rabies was investigated through phylogenetic studies of available viral gene sequences. Thereafter, the epidemiological status of rabies was assessed for the region. Finally, localities were classified first by the Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination framework and then categorized into four different groups based on management theme: “rabies free”; owned dog and domestic animal vaccination; community dog vaccination; and wildlife vaccination. The classification system proposed herein may serve as a baseline for future efforts. This is especially important due to the severe lack of rabies information available for the Middle East as a whole and a need for a comprehensive program focusing on the entirety of the region in light of renewed international commitment towards canine rabies elimination.

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“…In Saudi Arabia, most bites to humans come from rabid feral dogs however, no confirmed cases of rabies in humans have been reported in the last ten years. 3 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnostic difficulties in human rabies: A case report and review of the literature

Chacko

Parakadavathu

Almaslamani

et al. 2016

Qatar Medical Journal

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Rabies is a zoonotic disease with the highest fatality rate of any infectious disease. The clinical features of rabies encephalopathy are highly nonspecific at the onset and clinicians from low endemic areas usually face difficulties in recognizing cases during the early stages. The need for establishing a rapid and accurate test to identify rabies during the ante-mortem period is important. However, in actual clinical practice, the latter may remain difficult for various reasons. In human rabies, positively identifying the antigen, antibody or genetic material by various diagnostic methods during the symptomatic period is affected by the unpredictable nature of viremia, levels of antibody immune response of the host, and the virulence of the infecting strain. Also, more advanced testing with greater sensitivity may not be readily available at all centers. Here we describe a case of a young male who was bitten by a rabid dog and developed progressive encephalopathy with a fatal outcome, with negative antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A review of the literature on the clinical features, diagnostic tests, treatment and prevention of rabies is also presented.

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Rabies in Saudi Arabia: a need for epidemiological data

Cited by 20 publications

References 5 publications

Rabies Outbreaks and Vaccination in Domestic Camels and Cattle in Northwest China

Rabies Outbreaks and Vaccination in Domestic Camels and Cattle in Northwest China

A Perspective on Rabies in the Middle East—Beyond Neglect

Diagnostic difficulties in human rabies: A case report and review of the literature

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