Rabies in Poland in 2011

To assess epidemiological situation of rabies in Poland in 2011.

The assessment was based on the results of the data analysis from questionnaires (People vaccinated against rabies post-exposure surveys in Poland and people vaccinated against rabies after exposure in other countries) submitted by the Sanitary-Epidemiological Stations and data from the annual newsletter "Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland in 2011" (Czarkowski MP et al., Warsaw, NIZP-PZH and GIS) and epizootic data provided by the General Veterinary Inspectorate.

In 2011, in Poland, 160 cases of rabies (in 2010 - 152 cases) were reported. Animal cases occurred primarily in the Malopolska province, where an increase in animal rabies cases has been observed since September 2010 and in Podkarpackie province. A single case of fox rabies was reported in Silesia, where there was no disease for many years. Rabies among terrestrial animals also occurred in the provinces ofLubelskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie and Podlaskie. In other regions of the country there were recorded only isolated cases of bat rabies. In 2011, number of people vaccinated against rabies was 7 543 (in 2010 - 7,243), of which 300 (4%) due to exposure to the animals that were confirmed to have rabies. Among those vaccinated because of contact with the rabid animal, 68 people (over 22%) were vaccinated after contact with fox. As in previous years, people were mainly vaccinated after exposure to dogs and cats in which rabies could not be ruled out - 5 874 persons (78%).

The number of registered animals with confirmed rabies remains at the same level and the disease epizootic situation is good. This is a consequence of the implementation of the oral vaccination of wild animals introduced in the country in 1993. Epizootic situation in the country has a small influence on the number of people vaccinated against rabies who have come into contact with the animal potentially infected with the rabies. Serum is given in a few cases, including a few people at contact with rabid animals or deeply wounded by animals in which rabies cannot be excluded.