Epidemiology and control of rabies in Iran

Rabies is endemic in Iran. It is the most important zoonotic disease in the country. Based on studies undertaken during the past few decades, there is evidence that the main reservoir for rabies is wolves. The incidence of rabies in humans and animals is increasing each year. In 2006, more than 130,000 people received post-exposure prophylaxis. Similar figures apply regarding preventive vaccination in animals. Official data suggest that the majority of human exposures are due to biting episodes caused by dogs. However, investigations performed by this team showed that in many cases wolves were responsible for rabies transmission to humans. Because of the potential feasibility of oral rabies vaccination, this team has proposed a pilot study to evaluate the use of an oral rabies vaccine for vaccination of wildlife to control rabies in Iran.