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Strengthening Capacity towards Rabies Elimination in Asia - TCP/RAS/3708

Year of publication 2023

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 13

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Project

Synopsis (short abstract) Rabies is a major global public health issue, which is currently endemic in more than 150 countries in the world. Although it is a preventable disease, it kills an estimated 59 000 persons each year. In Asia, dogs are the main mediators of rabies, and traction animals and people are particularly susceptible to canine-mediated infestation. Most human and animal rabies occur in rural and impoverished areas, where there is a continued lack of awareness, or access to rabies vaccines. In this context, rabies epidemics in agricultural areas have significant impacts on livestock production and food security. The rabies situation in Bangladesh is considered endemic, and the dog population is estimated at 1.6 million. Between 1996 and 2017, a total of 366 village-level outbreaks in animals were reported in Bhutan, mainly in the southern region close to the border with India. In Nepal, authorities are also concerned with the epidemiology and impact of the zoonotic disease; however, limited in-country research is currently conducted. In addition, dog-mediated rabies incidences are the vast majority in Sri Lanka, with 20 to 30 induced human deaths annually.

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