title: [The epidemiology of canine rabies in Colombia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An epidemiological-ecological study was carried out on canine rabies in Colombia to describe its tendency and explore the factors associated with its incidence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Socio-economic variable data was collected by questionnaire applied to the rabies control programme's regional epidemiology coordinators in each Colombian department. Statistical association analysis was carried out on the 2001-2006 historical epidemiologic data on canine rabies incidence and sources of official national survey figures. Incidence rate ratios and Spearman correlation tests were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Canine rabies incidence rate was 0.4 cases x 100,000 dogs/year (without adjustment for 2001-2006). Average immunisation coverage from 1994 to 2005 was 45 % to 63 %; only 25 % of Colombian departments had higher than 60 % immunisation coverage. The following variables were associated with the presence of canine rabies: an urban population, immunisation coverage, a lack of a cold chain for vaccines, a lack of participation in surveillance committees, the lack of an epidemiological map, the unavailability of a rabies' diagnosis laboratory, the absence of trained human resources, the absence of a zoonosis centre for observing dogs, comparative analysis between monthly and semester basis data and the percentage of people displaced by internal violence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis suggested the need for active surveillance and rapid response. Canine rabies is associated with the weaknesses of regional control programmes. Internal human migration could influence human-dog-selvatic reservoir ratios and rabies frequency.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia. natalia.cediel@unito.it
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cediel
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de la Hoz
authors.forename: Luis C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Villamil
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Díaz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002960:Civil Disorders; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D011818:Rabies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D011819:Rabies Vaccines; D012034:Refrigeration; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000662:veterinary; D014754:Violence; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D011819:Rabies Vaccines