Bulgarian Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 2020 ONLINE FIRST ISSN 1311-1477; DOI: 10.15547/bjvm.2020-0077 Original article RABIES IN EUROPE IN 20102019 M. FLIS Department of Animal Ethology and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland Summary Flis, M., 2020. Rabies in Europe in 20102019. Bulg. J. Vet. Med. (online first). The paper presents the epizootic and epidemiological situation of rabies in European countries during the last decade. The presented results indicate that the oral immunisation of fox anti-rabies (ORV), used in many European countries, significantly reduced the number of rabies cases found in ground mammals, but did not eliminate the virus at all. Currently, the largest reservoir of the virus are Eastern European countries where there are no immunisation activities or their effectiveness is low. Due to the absence of geographical barriers, the virus reappears in countries that have been described as free from rabies. As a rule, it is dragged into these areas along with the movement of companion animals and by people travelling to countries where the prevalence of the virus is common. It should be emphasised that due to the significant elimination of the virus in wild and domestic animals, it found quite quickly found a new reservoir in a specific group of mammals, having the ability to fly, like bats. Currently there is no possibility of carrying out any preventive measures in bats, so all the virus strains found in this group of animals are dangerous to humans, raising possibilities of epidemiological threat. It should be noted that despite the significant elimination of rabies in many European countries, given the almost unlimited possibilities of virus transmission to new areas, it still poses a serious threat to public health. Thus, it is necessary to constantly monitor the occurrence of the virus and possibly take preventive actions in terms of its elimination from the environment. Key words: epidemiologic situation, epizootic situation, Europe, oral immunisation, rabies INTRODUCTION Rabies is a zoonotic infectious disease of Mononegavirales order, there were no the central nervous system caused by changes within the genus Lyssavirus. It neurotropic viruses belonging to the genus includes 16 classified species, and two Lyssavirus, which, along with other more are pending classification (Amara- genera, belongs to the Rhabdoviridae singhe et al., 2018; Maes et al., 2019). family within the Mononegavirales order. Rabies as a disease was already known Despite the fact that in February 2019 the in ancient times. The first mention of it International Committee of Virus Taxono- comes from the Code of Hammurabi my (ICTV) updated the taxonomy of the dating back to the 18th century BC. Rabies in Europe in 20102019 Information on the occurrence and course and feral dogs. However, it soon became of this disease is also found in the records apparent that these programmes were not of Democritus and Aristotle. Quite often it very effective, and the virus found a new is defined as the oldest of infectious reservoir among wild animals, mainly diseases known to mankind (Smreczak, foxes. Due to the fact that immunisation 2007; Smreczak & Żmudziński, 2019). of dogs with traditional vaccines proved All warm-blooded animals, including hu- to be much more effective, based on this mans, are susceptible to virus infection. concept further actions were taken in the The first significant attempts at preventive form of oral immunisation of free-living measures were made in the 18th century, foxes to reduce and eliminate the virus in and the breakthrough in this respect was the population of these animals. The 1885, when the first vaccinations were concept of oral immunisation of free- carried out. They concerned a man bitten living foxes was developed in the 1960s. by a dog with rabies symptoms (Smrec- The first field research on this issue was zak, 2007; Ridder, 2018). It is a global carried out in Switzerland in 1978, and the disease, which from the beginning of its next: in 1983 in Germany (Rupprecht et diagnosis has been associated with biting al., 2004). Since then, the number of ra- by dogs. Currently it occurs on all bies cases has been significantly reduced continents except Antarctica. Despite the in countries where fox vaccination has diverse administrative and veterinary been undertaken. This can be confirmed activities in the field of virus prevention by the results of vaccination in Poland. and control, it remains one of the most During 18 years of vaccination, the dangerous zoonoses in the world. Accor- number of cases decreased from 1,119 to ding to the World Health Organization, it 11 cases, of which only one was recorded occurs in over 150 countries around the in free-living foxes and the remaining in world and kills approximately 59,000 bats (Sadkowska-Todys & Łabuńska, people, where about 40% of cases involve 2002; Flis, 2018; 2020). A similar trend children under 15 years of age. For has also occurred in other Western several years, the highest incidence, and European countries. The effect of this is thus also mortality, reaching 95% of all that some European countries have been deaths in the world as a result of this recognised as free from rabies virus. This disease occurs in Africa and Asia, where confirms that if the virus is eliminated in dogs remain the main reservoir of the foxes in the wild, it also does not occur in virus. Transmission to humans is most domestic animals (Rupprecht et al., 2004). commonly caused by bites or scratches by However, in some countries with rabies- infected animals (Knobel et al., 2005; free status, the virus has re-emerged Gliński & Kostro, 2013; Ridder, 2018; (Cliquet et al., 2014). Satora et al., 2018). Nevertheless, despite the significant Due to the high epizootic and epide- reduction in the number of rabies cases in miological threat in many countries, carnivores, there are currently no effective programmes for reducing the population methods of vaccination of bats, which are of endangered animals remaining both as a fairly significant source of danger. There reservoir and virus vector have been is a real possibility of transmission of this carried out for several years. Initially, this pathogen transmitted by rabid bats to concerned the population of free-living other animal species and even humans. 2 BJVM, ××, No × M. Flis The threat is important because bats are determining the presence of a marker the most common mammals in the world, contained in the vaccine used, and at the and in terms of the species described they same time confirms the vaccine’s are second only to rodents, populating acceptance by the animal. Serum almost all continents, constituting about neutralisation RFFIT (Rapid Fluorescent 20% of known mammal species (Calisher Focus Inhibition Test) and ELISA et al., 2006). (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) The aim of the study was to assess the tests are used to determine antibodies in epizootic and epidemiological status of the blood serum. In addition, monitoring rabies in wild and domestic animals, with of cases in domestic animals and bats particular emphasis on bats, and the suspected of occurrence of the virus is occurrence of the virus in humans carried out in each country. throughout Europe over the last decade. Analysis The obtained data were summarised in MATERIALS AND METHODS tabular forms, taking into account the Material number of rabies cases in wild animals, domestic animals and bats, as well as in The material for work was data on the humans. Based on the obtained data, a occurrence of rabies from the World geographical pattern of rabies in the first Health Organization (WHO) Rabies - year covered by the assessment (2010) Bulletin - Europe information system and and in 2019 was made, which allowed information from the literature related to depicting regions of the greatest threats, the topic of work. trends of changes and the current Research epizootic and epidemiological status in individual European countries. As part of preventive measures, every European country is required to provide data to WHO regarding rabies that have RESULTS been diagnosed in wild and domestic Rabies in wild animals animals, bats, as well as cases found in humans. In addition, countries that use In 2010, in Europe, including the Russian oral fox immunisation (ORV) as part of Federation, 23,000 cases of rabies in wild anti-rabies prophylaxis carry out moni- animals were recorded (Table 1). Among toring studies on the effectiveness of these European countries, the most cases activities. The effectiveness assessment is (6,059) were recorded in Ukraine fol- conducted on the basis of trends of lowed by 2,803 in Belarus. Quite a high changes of cases, animals susceptible to number of cases were also found in rabies in a given country. Three methods Romania and Croatia. In the remaining are usually used in these tests. The first is countries, the occurrence of rabies was based on immunofluorescence of brain much lower, but Poland, Turkey and prints and allows determining the pre- Moldova deserve to be mentioned. A high sence of the virus in the collected number of cases was also found in Italy material. The second method is based on and Serbia. In the remaining 15 European the analysis of bone cuts, which allows countries diagnosed with rabies in wild BJVM, ××, No × 3 Rabies in Europe in 20102019 Table 1. Prevalence of rabies in wild animals in Europe in the last decade Years Country