Current status of fox rabies in EtJrope

BARRAT, J. & AUBERT, M.F.A. 1993. Current status of fox rabies in Europe. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 60:357364 There was a general decline in animal rabies in Europe in 1991 following the peak levels which occurred in 1989. This was ascribed, in France at least, to the normal decline in cases usually experienced following peak occurrence and also to oral immunization of foxes against rabies. European countries in which rabies occurs may be infected by fox, insectivorous bat or dog rabies. This paper makes a general summary of the rabies situation in Europe in 1991 and presents data obtained in 1991 from 15 European countries using oral vaccination against fox rabies. RABIES SITUATION IN EUROPE IN 1991 TABLE 1 Animal rabies cases in Europe in 1991 a There are a number of animal reservoirs of rabies in Europe: red fox (Vulpes vulpes), polar fox (A/apex lagopus), dog and insectivorous bats (mainly Eptesicus serotinus). Some of the data presented here is derived from the Rabies Bulletin Europe published at the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre in Tubingen, Germany. In 1989 there had been a general increase in fox rabies cases in Europe (principally in France, Belgium and Germany) which was interpreted as being the consequence of two mild winters which favoured the survival of foxes and their prey, resulting in an increase in the fox population and the occurrence of rabies. In 1991, 16 490 cases of rabies were reported in Europe, which was 22% less than in 1990 (Table 1). However, this downward trend in cases was not evident in Austria, Poland, Romania and Switzerland. Such an overall decrease in incidence is to be expected after a period marked by a very high occurrence of rabies, but the most significant decreases were recorded in the countries where oral vaccination No. of Country cases reported Austria 2 460 Belgium 29 Czechoslavakia 1 359 France 2 165 Germany 3 602 Hungary 880 Italy 4 Luxembourg 16 Netherlands (bat rabies cases) 12 Poland 2 287 Romania 54 Spain (African part) 8 Switzerland and Liechtenstein 105 Turkey (canine rabies principally) 427 USSR (canine rabies principally) 2 404 Yugoslavia (canine rabies 669 principally) a Data extracted from Rabies Bulletin Europe b NS = Not significant Trend (%) since 1990 NSb -75 NS -27 35 19 + 100 75 46 + 12 + 10 NS + 105 -27 + 35 20