Timeliness in canine rabies outbreak report and response

Area of Science:

• One Health
• Zoonotic Disease Epidemiology
• Public Health Surveillance

Background:

• Timely response to zoonotic disease outbreaks is critical for public health and animal welfare.
• Dog-mediated rabies remains a significant global health concern, with recurrent outbreaks in Arequipa, Peru, despite control efforts.
• Persistent delays in outbreak response hinder effective control measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine delays in zoonotic outbreak response using dog rabies as a model.
• To identify key barriers contributing to response delays in Arequipa, Peru.
• To adapt and apply the Outbreak Milestones and Timeliness Metrics framework for assessing zoonotic disease response.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of canine rabies outbreak response reports from Arequipa, Peru (2015-2024).
• Classification of One Health outbreak milestones and calculation of timeliness metrics.
• Qualitative analysis of field reports to identify underlying causes of delays using Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests.

Main Results:

• The longest delay was between dog behavior change detection and initial reporting (2.52 days).
• Delays were also observed in sample shipment and diagnosis to control stages.
• Barriers included owner unawareness, reluctance to report, logistical challenges, and confusion in reporting procedures.

Conclusions:

• Rabies reporting and response delays in Arequipa are driven by slow initial reporting and logistical issues.
• Strengthening community awareness, intersectoral coordination, and logistics are crucial for reducing delays.
• Improving outbreak response timeliness is vital for effective rabies control.