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Volume 23, Number 12—December 2017
Research Letter

Tool for Eliminating Dog-Mediated Human Rabies through Mass Dog Vaccination Campaigns

Eduardo A. Undurraga1Comments to Author , Jesse D. Blanton, S.M. Thumbi, Athman Mwatondo, Mathew Muturi, and Ryan M. Wallace
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (E.A. Undurraga, J.D. Blanton, R.M. Wallace); Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya (S.M. Thumbi); Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA (S.M. Thumbi); Kenya Ministry of Health, Nairobi (A. Mwatondo, M. Muturi)

Main Article

Figure

Illustrative results from the planning aid tool for controlling dog rabies through dog vaccination using input data, Kenya, 2016. A) Number of annual dog vaccinations required in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations. The tool assumes a threshold of 70% of dog vaccination during 7 years as a conservative estimate to eliminate dog-mediated rabies. The actual proportion of the dog population that needs to be vaccinated depends on local conditions of rabies transmission (10). Ba

Figure. Illustrative results from the planning aid tool for controlling dog rabies through dog vaccination using input data, Kenya, 2016. A) Number of annual dog vaccinations required in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations. The tool assumes a threshold of 70% of dog vaccination during 7 years as a conservative estimate to eliminate dog-mediated rabies. The actual proportion of the dog population that needs to be vaccinated depends on local conditions of rabies transmission (10). Based on field data, Kenya estimates that 3 consecutive years of 70% coverage of dog vaccination would end dog–dog rabies transmission. The estimate by Hampson et al. (1) estimate of 523 annual deaths was based on active surveillance in eastern Kenya; current passive surveillance reports higher bite rates, so the estimate probably represents a lower bound of the number of deaths that could be avoided through mass dog vaccination. B) Total annual cost (US $) of dog vaccination. Error bars indicate 95% CIs. Horizontal dotted line indicates current spending for dog vaccination. C) Net dog vaccination capacity (i.e., total number of dogs per year minus the number of dogs Kenya needs to vaccinate to achieve the dog vaccination coverage goal). If the number is positive, the country has enough capacity to vaccinate; if negative, the country needs more vaccinators, increased vaccination efficiency, or more campaign days. The estimated annual costs are based on the cost per dog vaccinated; excess vaccinator capacity is not included in the aggregate costs.

Main Article

References
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1Current affiliation: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

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Page updated: November 16, 2017
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