Epidémiosurveillance de la rage en Belgique: Bilan 1997

Brochier B. , Dechamps P. , Costy F. , Chalon P. , Hallet L. , Peharpre D ., Mosselmans F. , Beyer R. , Lecomte L. , Mullier P. , Roland H. , Bauduin B. , Renders C., Pastoret P-P . Epidémiosurveillance de la rage en Belgique: Bilan 1997. Annales de Médecine Vétérinaire. 1998;12(4):261-270. [Journal article]

During 1997, rabies was confirmed in 5 foxes and 3 cattle collected in southern Belgium (provinces of Luxemburg and Namur). Six out of these 8 cases occurred during the first trimester. As compared with the epidemiological situation observed during the previous year (44 cases), there is a significant decrease of rabies incidence; a consequence of the strategy of fox vaccination, that was adapted since 1996 to control a rabies reinfection focus, in the presence of a high density of fox population. During this year, two aerial vaccinations were carried out during the cold season, (baiting density: 17 baits per km2) and an additional campaign of cubs vaccination was performed by distributing manually about 10-20 baits per breeding den. Results from both tetracycline (biomarker) and rabies antibodies detection tests showed that protection against rabies was confered to the fraction of the fox population that is required for rabies elimination. Thanks to the modified strategy of fox vaccination and a good cross-border cooperation, the reinfection rabies focus that occurred in 1994-1995 is likely to be controlled.