Control and elimination of rabies in Croatia

Tomislav Bedeković (1) , Ivana Lohman Janković (2) , Ivana Šimić (1) , Nina Krešić (1) , Ivana Lojkić (1) , Ivica Sučec (3) , Emmanuelle Robardet (4) , Florence Cliquet (4)

1 Croatian Veterinary Institute
2 Veterinary Directorate
3 Veterinary Directorate
4 LRFSN - Laboratoire de la rage et de la faune sauvage de Nancy

Despite the implementation of control measures (preventive dog vaccination), rabies has become endemic in Croatia, with red foxes being the main reservoir species. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) campaigns supported by the European Commission have been conducted twice a year since the spring of 2011. The first campaigns were limited to the northern and eastern parts of the country, and from the autumn of 2012, the program was extended to the entire country. The Lysvulpen vaccine containing the SAD Bern strain was used for ORV. Following the vaccination campaigns, the number of rabies cases decreased, and the last positive case was recorded in February 2014. The bait uptake ranged from 24.86% to 84.62% and the immunisation rate from 11.24% to 35.64%.

Keywords: Foxes; Rabies; Croatia; Veterinary diseases; Enzyme-linked immunoassays; Vaccination and immunization; Rabies virus; Vaccines

Domains: Veterinary medicine and animal Health; Santé publique et épidémiologie

Tomislav Bedeković, Ivana Lohman Janković, Ivana Šimić, Nina Krešić, Ivana Lojkić, et al.. Control and elimination of rabies in Croatia. PLoS ONE, 2018, 13 (9), pp.e0204115. ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0204115⟩. ⟨anses-03409354⟩