title: The Importance of Wild Canids in the Epidemiology of Rabies in Northeast Brazil: A Retrospective Study.
abstract: Rabies is an endemic disease in Brazil, where it is considered a serious public health problem. Although the number of human and dog-transmitted cases has declined in recent decades, rabies in wildlife has emerged considerably. Among the sylvatic animals, wild canids have been considered important hosts of the rabies virus. We performed a retrospective study of reported cases of rabies in wild canids and human victims in Ceará state (Northeast Brazil) during 2003 to 2013. Information was provided by governmental laboratories involved in rabies detection and by the Ministry of Health. From January 2003 to December 2013, a total of 11 931 animal samples were examined for rabies. Positivity were detected in 438 samples (3.67%), of which 229 (52.28%) were domestic animals, 105 (23.97%) wild canids and 104 (23.74%) other wild animals (bats, marmosets and raccoons). Approximately 33% of wild canids surveyed (n = 317) were positive for rabies. During the studied period, a total of 1923 attacks on humans by wild canids were registered. Males (n = 1405) were more affected than females (n = 520; 72.98% versus 27.01%), and the median age of all cases was 36.5 years. Injuries to individuals up to 19 years old corresponded to approximately 30% (n = 565) of all cases. Most of the victims lived in rural areas (72.46%; n = 1395), and the majority showed bites (81.13%; n = 1677) or scratches (12.23%; n = 253). Injuries were considered profound (52.1%; n = 1003), superficial (40.91; n = 788) or multiple with severe laceration (6.98%; n = 134). Only 1300 (67.53%) victims were enrolled for the complete rabies post-exposure prophylaxis scheme. Data from the present study confirm that wild canids are important hosts of rabies virus in northeastern Brazil and jeopardize rabies control in this area. Local authorities should focus their efforts in education of health professionals. In addition, strategies should be formulated to preserve wildlife.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: R de A
authors.initials: Rde A
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.|Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Estado do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: N F H
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Estado do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Rolim
authors.affiliation: Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Estado do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Soares Júnior
authors.affiliation: Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Estado do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: I C F
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Estado do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: de Araújo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.|Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: M F G
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: R S N
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Brilhante
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.|Instituto Pasteur de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Favoretto
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: J J C
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sidrim
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D046028:Canidae; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011818:Rabies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D011820:Rabies virus; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D011819:Rabies Vaccines
keywords: Northeast Brazil; Rabies; sylvatic animals; wild canids