Rabies in the state of São Paulo: the rodents question

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Maria Eugênia L. Summa, Maria Luiza Carrieri, Silvana Regina Favoretto, Esther Luiza B. Chamelet
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 1987
• Subjects: Rabies; prevention and control; Rabies rodents; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic; Pasteur
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46651987000100009; https://doaj.org/article/46d99364580742baa0110cc160b34c1f

The authors looked over the epidemiological data on the aggression by rodents in the period 1976-1985 in the records of the Instituto Pasteur in the State of São Paulo (Brazil). They observed that out of 367 379 people attacked, 22 250 were victims of rodents. Mainly responsible for these accidents were urban rodents, whose capture, however, was a limiting factor for the sending of samples to the laboratory. Laboratory diagnosis carried out in 1 083 samples of rodents did not show any positive case in the period, in spite of the presence of rabies in other animals species. It is conclude that, as rabies is rare among rodents, tests are necessary for the identification of the virus whenever suspicion of a positive case occurs; in addition, in the absence of reported cases of human death caused by rabies related to rodents, possibility exists for a reduction of antirabies treatments following exposure to these animals.