Rabies - epizootiological situation at the territory of Serbia and countries in the region from 2006. to 2012

• Published in: Veterinarski glasnik Vol. 67; no. 5-6; pp. 377 - 394
• Main Authors: Maksimovic-Zoric, Jelena, Milicevic, Vesna, Veljovic, Lj, Petrovic, Tamas, Valcic, Miroslav, Plavsic, Branislav, Vranjes, N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgrade 2013
• Subjects: epizootic situation; fox; oral vaccination of foxes; rabies
• ISSN: 0350-2457; 2406-0771
• DOI: 10.2298/VETGL1306377M

Rabies is a disease that occurs both in animals and people, with relatively
long period of incubation, intense clinical course and fatal ending. Majority
of cases of illnes and death in people are caused by the standard rabies
virus. According to books of regulations on suppression and eradiction of
rabies from 1988. and 2009., each suspected rabies has to be laboratory
confirmed. From 2006. to 2012. within the passive surveilance, 3549 samples
of brain tissue were examined for the presence of rabies virus. The virus was
confirmed in 923 samples by using the method of direct imunofluorescence.
From 2006. to 2012. there were diagnosed 192, 160, 233, 181, 104, 43 and 10
positive cases, respectively. For the purpose of rabies eradiction at the
territory of the Republic of Serbia, a regional project of oral vaccination
of foxes against rabies has been implemented since 2010.Within monitoring of
the effectiveness of oral vaccination against rabies which was carried out at
the end of 2011. and at the beginning of 2012., there were examined 1385
samples, out of which 11 reacted positively. The virus was dominantly present
in the fox population. During 2008. and 2009., a relatively large number of
rabid cats was registered, what indicates a transmission of rabies from the
fox to the cat population. The incidence of rabies at the territory of Serbia
significantly differs from one epizootic area to another. Northern parts of
the country (Sombor and Subotica epizootic regions) have more favorable
situation with only two cases of rabies for the last 7 years. In the period
until 2010., in Pozarevac, Novi Sad, Jagodina, Pancevo, Belgrade and Nis
epizootic region, a gradual decline in number of positive cases was noticed.
International project for oral vaccination of foxes against rabies which has
been implemented at the territory of the Republic of Serbia and neighboring
countries, influenced a significant reduction of registered rabies cases.