Bites through dogs Rabies kills 160 people every day

Every day 160 dead by rabies

In Germany, the risk of dying of rabies is extremely low. But in other countries it looks very different. It is estimated that 160 people die of rabies every day around the world. According to a new study, scientists estimate the annual death toll at about 59,000. Most of them in poor countries of Asia and Africa.

Rabies requires 160 deaths every day
According to a new study, an estimated 160 people die of rabies every day around the world. According to a news agency dpa, this has been calculated by an international research team from the Global Alliance for Rabies Control. Each year, the virus disease kills around 59,000 people, most of them from poor countries in Africa and Asia. The researchers led by Katie Hampson of the University of Glasgow emphasize in the journal "PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases" that the disease can be easily prevented by mass vaccinations of dogs.

Data mainly from emerging and developing countries
The scientists, among them an employee of the German Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) for animal health, tried to identify rabies data mainly for emerging and developing countries. According to dpa they relied on human and veterinary surveys and studies, looked at specialist literature, took into account data on the number of dogs and people in different regions as well as the sales of manufacturers of rabies vaccines for different regions.

Most deaths in Asia and Africa
A Global Alliance statement quotes Hampson as saying, "The breadth of this study, from surveillance reports to epidemiological data, to information on selling vaccines worldwide is far greater than ever." Researchers estimate the researchers' estimate of some 59,000 fatalities, in some cases significantly above previous assumptions. Almost 60 percent of this is accounted for by Asia and a good 36 percent by Africa. With more than 20,800 victims, India accounts for more than two-thirds of the world's deaths, but this is mainly due to the high population. In terms of population, most people in sub-Saharan Africa die of rabies.

99 percent of infections by dog ​​bites
In America, however, the situation is different. There, the number of cases has plummeted following the introduction of canine vaccination programs: fewer than 200 people die of rabies across the continent every year, most of them in Haiti. Researchers estimate the worldwide economic impact of the disease at $ 8.6 billion annually (8.1 billion euros). The scientists report that over 99 percent of infections that are almost always fatal, if left untreated, are caused by dog ​​bites.

Prevent disease by mass vaccinations of dogs
The disease can be prevented by repeated mass vaccinations of dogs, which has succeeded in most industrialized countries. "The study shows that the global burden of canine rabies is substantial, although the disease is completely preventable," the experts said. "The success lies in investing in the control of rabies in dogs. This is lacking. "Many European countries are now regarded as rabies free. That this does not have to be a permanent condition is shown by the example of the Indonesian holiday island Bali. This was also considered to be free of rabies for years, until it came in 2009 to several deaths after people were apparently infected by monkeys.

Preventive as well as immediate active vaccination possible
According to health experts, after an animal bite, it is always important not to wait and see if the symptoms of rabies occur, because then it is usually already too late for therapy. An infection with the rabies pathogen is usually treated with an immediate active vaccine and with special antibodies (immunoglobulin). A preventive vaccine is also available. The first signs of the disease include nonspecific symptoms such as fever, a general malaise, headache, nausea and vomiting, inner restlessness and anxiety. Typical rabies symptoms that occur in 50 to 80 percent of cases are itching and pain or sensory disturbances near the bite. At this stage, it may already be too late for treatment. (Ad)

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