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Rabies in the Czech Republic

Rabies is a viral disease of the central nervous system transmitable from infected animals to humans. Rabies in domestic carnivores had been widespread in our country since before the First World War. Each year hundreds of cases were found mainly in dogs, cats and other domestic animals.

The rabies situation has significantly changed after the Second World War. Rabies in wildlife has been established in our country in the 1950s, with the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) being the principal vector and reservoir. Rabies has become endemic in the border areas of West and North Bohemia and North Moravia. In the long-term average the foxes accounted for about 90% of positive cases. Much lower incidence was detected in domestic animals during the course of the years.

The highest incidence of rabies was recorded in 1984 reaching 2,232 reported cases. Since that time continual decline is visible especially since 1992 when the positive effects of oral vaccination became evident.

 

Status of Rabies

In the period 1989 to 2004, 144,500 animals were examined for rabies. The majority were foxes (more than 60%) followed by cats and dogs accounting for 30% together.

6,180 cases of rabies were diagnosed during this period. The highest incidence of rabies was recorded in 1989 reaching 1,501 cases. Since that time the yearly incidence has been decliming incrimentally.

In the year 2001, 35 cases were reported, and only 3 cases of fox rabies in 2002. Those were the last known cases of rabies in the Czech Republic. Due to absence of rabies for over 2 years, the Czech Republic qualifies as a rabies free country. This fact has been published by OIE in “Disease Information” No 30,23 July 2004. In 2004, no rabies case was recorded in the Czech Republic. The country remained rabies free.

For terrestrial vertebrates with rabies not occur in the Czech Republic and from recent findings in 2002, has no positive case until now.

 

Human Rabies in the Czech Republic

Human rabies occur very rarely in our country. Only three cases were diagnosed during last 40 years.

 

Number of human rabies cases

Year Number of human deaths Source of exposure
1968 1 women Fox
1973 1 man Dog in India
1989 1 man Unknown in Vietnam

 

Rabies Control

 

Domestic animals

Preventive vaccination of domestic carnivors and if necessary, domestic herbivores is the principal method for protecting domestic animals. Inactivated tissue-culture vaccines aree exclusively used for this purpose.

 

Wild animals

Oralvaccination of foxes

The project of oral immunization of foxes against rabies in the Czech Republic was launched in 1989 in Klatovy, Domažlice and Tachov regions. Vaccination campaigns take place twice a year in the springand in the autumn.

Over time the treated territory was extended to 44 districts in 1992. In the autumn of 1993, entire country was vaccinated with theexception of districts that had alreadybeen free of rabies.

25 millions vaccine baits were used during the period 1989 – 2004. The vaccination program was exceptionally effective and resulted in the total elimination of rabies inthe Czech Republic in 2002.

 

Rabies diagnostics

Rabies examinations are carried out in three authorized laboratories.

Reference Laboratory: National Reference Laboratory for Rabies

Head: MVDr. Jitka Horníčková, jitka.hornickova@svupraha.cz

Address: State Veterinary Institute, Sidlistni  136/24, 165 03  Praha 6 – Lysolaje, Czech Republic

Tel: +420 251 031 111 for (7:30 – 16:00), +420 251 031 282 for (16:00 – 7:30)

E-mail: svu.praha@svscr.cz

Website: https://www.svupraha.cz/en/our-laboratories/virology-and-serology

 

Annexes

Vaccination Plan in CR (Map) (50.8 KB)
Number of tested Animals and positive Findings in Districts (Table) (59.9 KB)
Number of Tests on Rabies (Map) (201.7 KB)
Monthly results of Rabies positive Findings in the Czech Repubic (Table) (29.2 KB)
Number of Rabies positive Findings in the year 2002 (Map) (64.8 KB)

 

Information Bulletin SVA CR - RABIES (Situationin 2003) (1.2 MB) Information Bulletin No. 5a/2004.
Information Bulletin SVA CR - RABIES (Situationin 2002) (7.0 MB) Information Bulletin No. 4a/2003
Information Bulletin SVA CR - RABIES (Situationin 2001) (548.5 KB) Information Bulletin No. 8a/2002.
Information Bulletin SVA CR - RABIES (Situation in 2000) (1.9 MB) Information Bulletin No. 5a/2001.
Information Bulletin SVA CR - RABIES (Situation in 1999) (788.5 KB) Information Bulletin No. 5a/2000.
Information Bulletin SVA CR - RABIES (Situation up to 1998) (11.1 MB) Information Bulletin No. 8a/99

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