Sylvatic rabies in Italy: epidemiology

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Epidemiology
• Wildlife Disease Ecology
• Zoonotic Disease Control

Background:

• Sylvatic rabies epizootics pose significant public health and animal health risks.
• Understanding the epizootic's spread and contributing factors is crucial for effective control strategies.
• Italy experienced a decade-long sylvatic rabies outbreak across its alpine region.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report epidemiological data on sylvatic rabies in Italy from 1977 to 1986.
• To analyze the factors influencing rabies spread and eradication efforts.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of various control measures, including vaccination and population management.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of epidemiological data from a 10-year period (1977-1986).
• Correlation of landscape, fox density, hunting, and rabies incidence.
• Implementation of systemic vaccination for domestic animals and oral vaccination for foxes.
• Public health education and post-exposure prophylaxis for at-risk individuals.

Main Results:

• The rabies epizootic spread across the entire alpine arch, manifesting in five distinct outbreaks.
• No human rabies cases were reported during the study period.
• Domestic animal rabies incidence decreased by 90% compared to other European countries.
• Oral fox vaccination demonstrated immediate and effective results in eradicating the final outbreaks.

Conclusions:

• Knowledge of the alpine environment and fox ecology was vital for rabies control.
• A multi-faceted approach including animal vaccination, stray control, hunter education, and public awareness was successful.
• Oral fox vaccination proved highly effective in eradicating sylvatic rabies.