title: Towards Canine Rabies Elimination in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Assessment of Health Economic Data.
abstract: Rabies remains a significant problem throughout much of the developing world. An estimated 69 000 people die annually from exposure to rabies. Most of these deaths are the result of being bitten by a rabid dog. Mass vaccination campaigns targeting dogs have been implemented around the world in an attempt to control or eliminate canine rabies. We analysed the vaccination and cost data for a campaign in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa; we found that the cost per dog vaccinated to be $6.61 for mass campaigns and $5.41 for local campaigns. We also estimated the cost of human post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The cost of PEP is approximately $64.50 on average per patient, and $333 on average for the 9% of patients who receive RIG. We also found that the districts that vaccinated the most dogs per capita experienced the highest rates of human treatment and thus had the highest PEP costs.
authors.affiliation: National Wildlife Research Center, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shwiff
authors.affiliation: National Wildlife Research Center, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA.|Global Alliance for Rabies Control, Manhattan, KS, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hatch
authors.affiliation: National Wildlife Research Center, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Nel
authors.affiliation: Rabies Project, Allerton Veterinary Laboratories, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leroux
authors.affiliation: Rabies Project, Allerton Veterinary Laboratories, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: South African Veterinary Association, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Scally
authors.affiliation: Provincial Centers for Disease Control, Natalia, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Govender
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indes.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Rupprecht
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004285:Dogs; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D011818:Rabies / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000191:economics*; D013019:South Africa; D014611:Vaccination / Q000191:economics
chemical_list: D011819:Rabies Vaccines
keywords: South Africa; disease management; economics; human exposure; rabies; vaccination