Rabies is an important zoonosis to public health associated with lethal encephalitis and economic losses. Analysis of its spatial distribution is a meaningful tool in understanding its dispersion, which may contribute to the control and prophylaxis of the disease. This study analyzed the spatial-temporal distribution of rabies outbreaks in livestock in Pará state, Brazil, from 2004 to 2013. We used records of neurological syndromes obtained from the state’s livestock authority (Adepará). The analysis recorded 711 neurological syndromes reports in livestock, of which 32.8% were positive for rabies. In 8% of the neurological syndromes (n=57) was not possible to perform the analysis because of bad-packaging conditions of the samples sent. Outbreaks involved at least 1,179 animals and cattle were the most affected animal species (76.8%). The numbers of reported neurological syndromes and of rabies outbreak shad strong positive correlation and exhibited decreasing linear trend. Spatially, most outbreaks occurred in two mesoregions in Pará (Northeast and Southeast). One of the justifications for this spatial distribution may be related with the distribution of the animals in the state, since these mesoregions are the largest cattle producers in Pará and have most of their territory deforested for pasture implementation.

An outbreak of human rabies transmitted by hematophagous bats occurred in 2018 in the state of Pará, Brazil, eastern Amazon, after 14 years with no record of the disease. It is necessary to understand the epidemiological characteristics of these attacks to protect the local population. This study aimed to characterize attacks of humans by vampire bats in the municipality of São João da Ponta, Pará state, Brazil, from 2013 to 2015. All individuals attacked by bats who sought medical care during the study period (n=5) were identified in the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) database and answered a questionnaire about the circumstances of the attack. Using snowball sampling, seed cases identified other individuals who were attacked in the same period but did not seek medical care (n=61), totalizing 66 people attacked in the same period. The interviewees were male (92.4%), adults between 20 and 50 years old (69.6%) and had completed elementary education (86.3%). Most were rural residents (92.4%) and crab fishermen (79.3%). The interviewees (92.4%) identified the mangrove of the Mãe Grande de Curuçá extractive reserve as an area conducive to attacks by vampire bats, where groups of fishermen sometimes concentrate for days for crab fishing, often living in improvised dwellings without walls and covered by tarps or straw (88.8%). The wounds were single bites (71.2%) and were located on the lower limbs (93.9%). Overall, 42.4% of participants had been bitten more than four times throughout their life (range 1-23 attacks). Participants were unaware of the risk of contracting rabies by the bite (95.4%). Using São João da Ponta as a model, this study shows that bat attacks are an essentially occupational problem in the study region. Indeed, for each reported attack, there are 12.2 unreported cases. It is necessary to develop strategies to reach this population for prophylactic treatment. Author Summary: Different from which occurs worldwide in relation to rabies transmission, in Amazon region, vampire bat is involved on direct transmission of rabies virus to humans when searching for bloodmeal. It is common in the state of Pará, Eastern Amazon, large areas inhabited near forests and mangroves. People living there use forest natural resources as a way of income and sustenance and these working conditions is what our study points out as an important factor for aggressions predisposition. Here this subject is shown as an occupational problem. This study also quantified for the first time underreported human’s aggressions by bats in Amazon, using the snowball sampling, which valued the relationship between individuals to reach the target population. Based on these results, rabies surveillance may direct actions for prevention and health education for these individuals, including changes in notifications forms and suggesting pre-exposure prophylaxis in vaccination calendar of the Brazilian Ministry of Health for these individuals exposed to the rabies virus.

Complementary tests are essential for defining the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of diseases in animals. White blood count is the most common laboratory method for identifying and evaluating inflammatory processes in small animals. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate plasma fibrinogen and C-reactive protein as supplementary tools for diagnosing inflammatory processes in dogs, correlating them with the results of the white blood count and the clinical condition of the animal. The sample size was calculated considering the estimated population of dogs living in the rural area of Curuçá, PA, Brazil. The sample included randomly selected healthy and unhealthy dogs. The animals underwent a clinical examination and complete blood count, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein tests. Of a total of 149 animals, 17.4% (26/149) had hyperfibrinogenemia, 39.6% (59/149) were C-reactive protein positive, and 48.3% (72/149) had leukocytosis. Of the cases of leukocytosis, 63.8% (46/72) were due to neutrophilia. The analysis of the plasma protein: fibrinogen ratio in animals with hyperfibrinogenemia showed that the increased results were related to inflammatory processes in 84.6% (22/26) of these dogs. The results showed that fibrinogen and C-reactive protein are promising tools to identify inflammatory processes in dogs even before the presence of clinical signs; therefore, they are considered supplementary routine care methods to detect recent inflammatory processes not yet identified in the white blood count.

Dogs and cats maintain the urban cycle of rabies, and vaccination is the main form of prevention and control of the disease. Brazil has seen human rabies cases transmitted by dogs and cats infected with the bat variant in regions where annual campaigns no longer take place. Although the municipality of Curuçá has no cases of urban rabies and viral circulation in wild animals is unknown, there are informal reports of contact of animals and people with vampire bats. This study aimed to identify factors associated with immune response against the rabies virus in dogs and cats in this municipality. A total of 352 dogs and 46 cats were randomly selected for blood collection and their owners answered a questionnaire. The animals were mostly males, aged between 1-3 years, and with unrestricted access to the street. A total of 48.8% of dogs and 32% of cats were not vaccinated in the last anti-rabies campaign, and 4.7% of dogs had been attacked by bats. Among the analyzed samples, only 21.1% had a titration ≥ 0.5 IU/mL. Risk factors for not participating in vaccination campaigns included species, presence of veterinary care, and participation in annual vaccination campaigns (OR = 0.46, 2.55, and 15.67 respectively). The animal population was estimated at 18,620 dogs and 4,556 cats. The human:dog ratio was 2.1:1 and the human:cat ratio was 8.7:1. This study revealed that the estimated population of dogs based on the human population was an underestimate for communities in the Amazon region. This was the first time that the number of dogs attacked by bats was determined. Health education with an emphasis on responsible ownership and periodic and biannual rabies vaccinations are recommended for the municipality. AUTHOR SUMMARY: Rabies is a viral disease characterized by brain and spinal cord inflammation. It affects all mammals, being almost 100% lethal. Hematophagous bats are one of the main wild reservoirs responsible for outbreaks of human rabies in the state of Pará and other regions of Brazil. Vaccination is the most effective form of control and prevention, even where rabies is believed to be under control. The levels of antibodies that fight the rabies virus must be constantly monitored through serological analysis to assess the effectiveness of vaccination programs. In the municipality of Curuçá, Pará, bats commonly attack people and their pets, and anti-rabies campaigns are not promoted every year. In the present study, we determined the number of attacks by bats on domestic dogs and estimated vaccination coverage and the canine and feline population in the municipality, which was underestimated. This information can be useful for future vaccination campaigns. The study identified factors associated with responsible ownership that interfere with the protective titration of animals against rabies and suggests promoting more than one annual anti-rabies campaign in this location.