Socioecology of the Canine Population in the Province of El Jadida, Morocco.

Understanding the socioecology of domestic dog populations is essential for effective disease control, especially canine rabies. In Morocco, since 1986, the control efforts and plans put in place by the government have failed to eradicate this disease; this is because the management of the canine population was not taken into account during the establishment of these plans. It is against the background that this study was designed to estimate the dog population and determine its socioecological characteristics, as well as investigate the attitude of the inhabitants towards the dogs. A stratified random sampling was conducted using a structured questionnaire from May to December 2016. A total of 1931 households were interviewed, comprising 27.4% in urban areas and 72.6% in rural areas. A total of 3719 dogs were counted alongside a human population of 11302 for a dog : human ratio of 1 : 2.42 in rural areas and 1 : 46.58 in urban areas. The majority of dogs (92%) in rural areas were not vaccinated against rabies. In urban areas, about 88.5% were vaccinated against rabies. In addition, 78.5% of dogs in rural areas were free roaming, with more than 53% of births being abandoned by their owners, resulting in a large stray and feral dog population and increasing the potential for continued transmission of rabies virus. There was strong association between breed and rabies vaccination (p<0.05) and confinement with body condition score.

Dog ecology and its implications for rabies control in Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria.

The objectives of this study were to determine the characteristics of a dog population, including their accessibility to vaccination and health care, in urban and semiurban areas of Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria. Direct street counts and a house-to-house survey of city streets were performed. A total of 451 households were surveyed comprising 43.7% urban and 53.3% semiurban areas. A total of 848 owned dogs were identified, along with 3,115 corresponding humans. With a dog-to-human ratio of 1:3.7, the dog population in the study area was estimated as 103,758. A total of 396 dogs were counted on the streets with the greater proportion (74%) in semiurban areas. Most dogs in semiurban areas (77.3%) had no certificate confirming vaccination against rabies, compared to 47.2% in urban areas (p = .004). The majority of dogs in the urban (60.9%) and semiurban (82.0%) were free roaming. In the multivariable model, age, presence of a collar, region, sex, use and having ever visited a veterinarian were significantly associated with rabies vaccination. The majority (125/197, 63.5%) of respondents with higher education were willing to pay more for the healthcare needs of their dogs as opposed to those with a lower level of education (93/251, 37.1%, p = .001). The study revealed a high dog population density, vaccination coverage below WHO recommendation of 70% and generally reduced healthcare-seeking behaviour among dog owners in Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria.

Detection of rabies antigen in the saliva and brains of apparently healthy dogs slaughtered for human consumption and its public health implications in abia state, Nigeria.

The study was carried out in eight dogs slaughtering outlets within four Local Government Areas of the State for the determination of rabies antigen in the saliva and brain of apparently healthy dogs slaughtered for human consumption. A total of one hundred (100) samples each of saliva and brain were collected before and after slaughter, respectively, between April to June, 2013, in the selected areas. The saliva was subjected to rapid immune-chromatographic test (RICT) while direct fluorescent antibody test (DFAT) was carried out on the brain samples. Structured questionnaire was administered to nineteen (19) dog meat processors comprising 18 males and 1 female in the selected areas. Sixty four percent of the samples tested were from female dogs while 36% were from males, 5% tested positive for rabies antigen with the use of both tests; there was no statistical association between sex and rabies status of the dogs sampled (P > 0.05). Butchers bitten during the course of slaughtering were 94.7% out of which 72.8% utilized traditional method of treatment and only 27.8% reported to the hospital for proper medical attention. This study has established the presence of rabies antigen in apparently healthy dogs in the study area.