Canine rabies epidemiology in Araçatuba and neighborhood, Northwestern São Paulo State - Brazil

• Main Authors: Luzia Helena Queiroz da Silva, César Eduardo Bissoto, Ádna Cleia B. Delbem, Clara Isabel de Lucca Ferrari, Sílvia Helena Venturoli Perri, Cáris Maroni Nunes
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2004
• Subjects: Dogs; Canine rabies; Epidemiology; São Paulo State; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/e9f1de30d5d94938a17e2e04287b4b83

Epidemiological characteristics of canine rabies in the northwest region of São Paulo State (Araçatuba region), Brazil, from 1993 to 1997 are presented. Out of 1,984 dogs, a total of 351 (17.7%) were positive for rabies diagnosis; 89% (312/351) of these occurred in urban areas and 85% (266/312) of the urban positive cases were among owned dogs. The mean age of the rabid dogs was 34 months and 61% were male. Aggressive behavior was observed in 77% of rabid dogs, followed by lack of coordination and paralysis (42%) and 48% of these dogs were responsible biting people or other animals. Information about vaccination status was obtained from 182 records and 51% of rabid dogs were non-vaccinated. The number of unvaccinated rabid dogs indicates a low vaccination index and this factor added to the high dog/man ratio must have contributed to the canine rabies epizootic observed in the studied area.