Elimination of human rabies in Goa, India through an integrated One Health approach

A. D. Gibson (), G. Yale, J. Corfmat, M. Appupillai, C. M. Gigante, M. Lopes, U. Betodkar, N. C. Costa, K. A. Fernandes, P. Mathapati, P. M. Suryawanshi, N. Otter, G. Thomas, P. Ohal, I. Airikkala-Otter, F. Lohr, C. E. Rupprecht, A. King, D. Sutton, I. Deuzeman, Y. Li, R. M. Wallace, R. S. Mani, G. Gongal, I. G. Handel, M. Bronsvoort, V. Naik, S. Desai, S. Mazeri, L. Gamble and R. J. Mellanby
Additional contact information
A. D. Gibson: Mission Rabies, Cranborne
G. Yale: Tonca, Panjim
J. Corfmat: Tonca, Panjim
M. Appupillai: Tonca, Panjim
C. M. Gigante: Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
M. Lopes: Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, Government of Goa
U. Betodkar: Directorate of Health Services, Government of Goa
N. C. Costa: Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, Government of Goa
K. A. Fernandes: Worldwide Veterinary Service India
P. Mathapati: Tonca, Panjim
P. M. Suryawanshi: Directorate of Health Services, Government of Goa
N. Otter: Tonca, Panjim
G. Thomas: Mission Rabies, Cranborne
P. Ohal: Tonca, Panjim
I. Airikkala-Otter: Worldwide Veterinary Service India
F. Lohr: Mission Rabies, Cranborne
C. E. Rupprecht: LYSSA LLC
A. King: Merck Animal Health
D. Sutton: MSD Animal Health, Walton Manor, Walton
I. Deuzeman: Merck Animal Health
Y. Li: Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
R. M. Wallace: Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
R. S. Mani: WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research in Rabies, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences
G. Gongal: WHO Regional Office for South East Asia
I. G. Handel: The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Roslin
M. Bronsvoort: The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Roslin
V. Naik: Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, Government of Goa
S. Desai: Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, Government of Goa
S. Mazeri: Mission Rabies, Cranborne
L. Gamble: Mission Rabies, Cranborne
R. J. Mellanby: The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Roslin

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Dog-mediated rabies kills tens of thousands of people each year in India, representing one third of the estimated global rabies burden. Whilst the World Health Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have set a target for global dog-mediated human rabies elimination by 2030, examples of large-scale dog vaccination programs demonstrating elimination remain limited in Africa and Asia. We describe the development of a data-driven rabies elimination program from 2013 to 2019 in Goa State, India, culminating in human rabies elimination and a 92% reduction in monthly canine rabies cases. Smartphone technology enabled systematic spatial direction of remote teams to vaccinate over 95,000 dogs at 70% vaccination coverage, and rabies education teams to reach 150,000 children annually. An estimated 2249 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were averted over the program period at 526 USD per DALY, making the intervention ‘very cost-effective’ by WHO definitions. This One Health program demonstrates that human rabies elimination is achievable at the state level in India.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30371-y

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