OBJECTIVES : Domestic dogs are the main reservoir of rabies virus (RABV) infection in Nigeria, thus surveillance of
rabies in dog populations is crucial in order to understand the patterns of spread of infection and ultimately devise
an appropriate rabies control strategy. This study determined the presence of lyssavirus antigen in brain tissues and
anti-rabies antibodies in sera of apparently healthy and suspected-rabid dogs slaughtered for human consumption at
local markets in South-Eastern Nigeria.
RESULTS : Our findings demonstrated that 8.3% (n = 23) of brain tissues were lyssavirus positive and 2.5% (n = 25) of
sera had rabies antibody levels as percentage blocking of 70% and above correlating with a cut-off value ≥ 0.5 IU/
mL in the fluorescent antibody neutralization test. There was an inverse correlation between lyssavirus positivity and
rabies antibody levels confirming that infected individuals most often do not develop virus neutralizing antibodies to
the disease. The low percentage of rabies antibodies in this dog population suggests a susceptible population at high
risk to RABV infection. These findings highlight a huge challenge to national rabies programs and subsequent elimination
of the disease from Nigeria, considering that majority of dogs are confined to rural communal areas, where
parenteral dog vaccination is not routinely undertaken.
Description:
Additional file 1. Geographical location of South Eastern Nigeria and the
States involved in the study. Map of the study area.
The authors thank staff of National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom Plateau
State, Nigeria and OIE Rabies Reference Laboratory, Onderstepoort, South
Africa for laboratory and technical support. We also thank Dr. Ekene Ezenduka
for assistance with the data analysis.
