Incidence and distribution of rabies cases in animals in the Republic of Moldova during the years 2020-2024

Abstract

Despite the systematic measures of monitoring and immunoprophylaxis of rabies in wild and domestic fauna over several decades, rabies remains a disease of major importance both for animal health and with a high impact on public health in the Republic of Moldova. For more than half a century, prophylactic vaccinations have been carried out annually in foxes and dogs, but the incidence of disease cases evolves endemically with epidemic waves being recorded in different species of domestic and wild animals. This study presents data on the incidence of rabies cases over a 5-year period and the effectiveness of prophylactic vaccination in the case of combined vaccination methods, with the distribution of vaccines (by plane and by placing vaccines in the region of fox dens ((Lisvulpen vaccine, live attenuated SAD Bern type). During 2020-2023, vaccination was carried out using planes under an EU-funded program. If in 2020 the number of rabies cases amounted to 82 cases (64 in domestic animals and 18 in wild animals), then in the period 2021-2023 the total number of cases decreased to 6 cases, being registered only in domestic animals, and starting with 2023, with the completion of the vaccination program in wildlife with the help of airplanes, the number of cases increased significantly, amounting to 28 cases in 2024 (25 in domestic animals and 3 in wild animals). The study demonstrates that reducing the incidence of rabies to the maximum in wildlife can only be achieved by using the method of vaccination of forest strips with the help of airplanes.