Rabies Vaccination Coverage and Antibody Profile of Owned Dogs in Abuja, Nigeria

Introduction Rabies is a zoonotic disease of high public health importance1. There have been documented reports of rabies in vaccinated dogs2. Rabies is enzootic in domestic dogs in Nigeria. Hence, annual vaccination campaigns of dogs are advocated with the aim of rabies elimination. Vaccination status, type of vaccination and the immunogenicity of the various rabies vaccines used in Abuja Nigeria has not been studied. To date, no effective medical therapy has been established for rabies3. Most human rabies deaths occur in the developing countries and though effective and economical control measures are available their application in developing countries is hampered by a range of economic, social and political factors. It is widely recognized that the number of deaths officially reported in most developing countries greatly underestimates the true incidence of disease, with several factors contributing to widespread underreporting3. Preventive vaccination against rabies virus is a highly effective method for preventing rabies in humans and animals3 but do people vaccinate and how long does the immunity conferred by the vaccine remain protective in the dogs in Abuja?. Rabies has high financial expenditure burden on any country where it is endemic mainly associated with costs incurred on post-exposure prophylaxis (determined by the type of vaccine, vaccine regimen and route of administration as well as the type of immunoglobulin used).