Observations from rabies surveillance and COVID-19
We would like to share ideas on the publication “Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2020.”1 According to Ma et al, the number of rabies samples submitted in the US dipped below 90,000 for the first time since 2006; this is thought to be due to factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as similar declines in sample submission were also observed in Canada and Mexico.1 We agree that the COVID-19 outbreak has the potential to alter local disease prevalence. It’s possible that this is due to disease control lockdown procedures.
Other factors, on the other hand, may have influenced the reported shift. We would like to share our perspective from Indochina’s tropical zone, where rabies is prevalent. The closure of veterinary practices in Indochina during COVID-19 may have been part of the disease control strategy. The closure of a veterinary clinic in the area could have had an impact on other significant animal-related diseases.2 Other animal health issues may have been caused by COVID-19 control measures. Residents in the area found it difficult to bring in their animals for rabies vaccination, and the rate of rabies vaccination for animals decreased, potentially lowering the rabies rate.
According to local public data, the incidence of animal rabies in a tropical area of Indochina where rabies is endemic increased to 39.47% of investigated animals in 2020, up from 25.19% in 2018, before COVID-19 emerged in the environment.3,4 As a result, there are a number of factors that could have influenced the rate of animal rabies during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Rujittika Mungmunpuntipantip, Private Academic Consultant, Bangkok, Thailand, Viroj Wiwanitkit, Honorary Professor, Dr DY Patil University, Pune, India
References
- 1. ↑
Ma X, Bonaparte S, Toro M, et al. Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2020. J Am Vet Med Assoc. Published online May 5, 2022. doi:10.2460/javma.22.03.0112
- 2. ↑
Wiwanitkit V. Comment on the response by emergency veterinary hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2020;30(5):602. doi:10.1111/vec.12994
- 3. ↑
Campaign for promoting rabies vaccination. Thai News. Accessed May 20, 2022. https://thainews.prd.go.th/th/news/detail/TCATG200730134749846
- 4. ↑
Campaign for rabies prevention. Thai News. Accessed May 20, 2022. https://thainews.prd.go.th/th/news/detail/TCATG210330173910661
