1
|
Voupawoe G, Varkpeh R, Kamara V, Sieh S, Traoré A, De Battisti C, Angot A, Loureiro LFLDJ, Soumaré B, Dauphin G, Abebe W, Coetzer A, Scott T, Nel L, Blanton J, Dacheux L, Bonas S, Bourhy H, Gourlaouen M, Leopardi S, De Benedictis P, Léchenne M, Zinsstag J, Mauti S. Rabies control in Liberia: Joint efforts towards zero by 30. Acta Trop 2021; 216:105787. [PMID: 33385361 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite declaration as a national priority disease, dog rabies remains endemic in Liberia, with surveillance systems and disease control activities still developing. The objective of these initial efforts was to establish animal rabies diagnostics, foster collaboration between all rabies control stakeholders, and develop a short-term action plan with estimated costs for rabies control and elimination in Liberia. Four rabies diagnostic tests, the direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) test, the direct immunohistochemical test (dRIT), the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay and the rapid immunochromatographic diagnostic test (RIDT), were implemented at the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) in Monrovia between July 2017 and February 2018. Seven samples (n=7) out of eight suspected animals were confirmed positive for rabies lyssavirus, and molecular analyses revealed that all isolates belonged to the Africa 2 lineage, subgroup H. During a comprehensive in-country One Health rabies stakeholder meeting in 2018, a practical workplan, a short-term action plan and an accurately costed mass dog vaccination strategy were developed. Liberia is currently at stage 1.5/5 of the Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination (SARE) tool, which corresponds with countries that are scaling up local-level interventions (e.g. dog vaccination campaigns) to the national level. Overall an estimated 5.3 - 8 million USD invested over 13 years is needed to eliminate rabies in Liberia by 2030. Liberia still has a long road to become free from dog-rabies. However, the dialogue between all relevant stakeholders took place, and disease surveillance considerably improved through implementing rabies diagnosis at the CVL. The joint efforts of diverse national and international stakeholders laid important foundations to achieve the goal of zero dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030.
Collapse
|
2
|
Gourlaouen M, Angot A, Mancin M, Bebay C, Soumaré B, Ellero F, Zecchin B, Leopardi S, De Battisti C, Terregino C, De Benedictis P. An inter-laboratory trial as a tool to increase rabies diagnostic capabilities of Sub-Saharan African Veterinary laboratories. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008010. [PMID: 32040472 PMCID: PMC7010240 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To achieve the goal of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030, many African countries have agreed to list rabies as a priority zoonotic disease and to undertake both short and long-term control programs. Within this context, reliable local diagnosis is essential for the success of field surveillance systems. However, a harmonized, sustainable and supportive diagnostic offer has yet to be achieved in the continent. We herewith describe the organization and outcome of a proficiency test (PT) for the post-mortem diagnosis of rabies in animals, involving thirteen veterinary laboratories and one public health laboratory in Africa. Participants were invited to assess both the performance of the Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA) test and of a conventional RT-PCR. From the submitted results, while thirteen laboratories proved to be able to test the samples through DFA test, eleven performed the RT-PCR method; ten applied both techniques. Of note, the number of laboratories able to apply rabies RT-PCR had increased from four to ten after the exercise. Importantly, results showed a higher proficiency in applying the molecular test compared to the DFA test (concordance, sensitivity and specificity: 98.2%, 96.97% and 100% for RT-PCR; 87.69%, 89.23% and 86.15% for DFA test), indicating the feasibility of molecular methods to diagnose animal pathogens in Africa. Another positive outcome of this approach was that negative and positive controls were made available for further in-house validation of new techniques; in addition, a detailed questionnaire was provided to collect useful and relevant information on the diagnostic procedures and biosafety measures applied at laboratory level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Gourlaouen
- FAO and National Reference Centre for Rabies, OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Angélique Angot
- Laboratory Unit—Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES), Animal Health Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN), Rome, Italy
| | - Marzia Mancin
- Risk Analysis and Public Health Department, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Charles Bebay
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Baba Soumaré
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN), Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), Accra, Ghana
| | - Francesca Ellero
- FAO and National Reference Centre for Rabies, OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Barbara Zecchin
- FAO and National Reference Centre for Rabies, OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Stefania Leopardi
- FAO and National Reference Centre for Rabies, OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Cristian De Battisti
- FAO and National Reference Centre for Rabies, OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
- Laboratory Unit—Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES), Animal Health Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN), Rome, Italy
| | - Calogero Terregino
- FAO and National Reference Centre for Rabies, OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Paola De Benedictis
- FAO and National Reference Centre for Rabies, OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| |
Collapse
|