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Acta tropica2022; 227; 106302; doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106302

Geographical and temporal spread of equine rabies in Brazil.

Abstract: In Brazil, the horse is frequently used in cultural activities, sports, and in rural and urban work, implementing the economy in different social classes. Among the diseases in horses with zoonotic potential, rabies has been neglected in the country, increasing the risk of spreading the disease across borders. The present study evaluated the spatiotemporal distribution and temporal trend of rabies in horses in Brazil between 2010 and 2019. During this period, 1290 cases of rabies were detected in horses in Brazil, mainly in the states of São Paulo (21.7%) and Mato Grosso (13.3%). However, Espírito Santo stood out, with an incidence risk (IR) of 139.7 cases of rabies per 100,000 horses. The years 2013 and 2017 had higher peaks of IR for the disease, and the states that contributed to this increase were Mato Grosso, São Paulo, and Espírito Santo. There was no monthly seasonality of the disease among the states. The temporal trend revealed an increase for the northeastern region (Annual Percentage Change [APC]: 8.9%) and for Alagoas State (APC: 26.6%). In the spatiotemporal analysis, three high-risk clusters were formed: (i) cluster A (Relative Risk [RRs]: 6.21), involving only Minas Gerais, between 2017 and 2019; (ii) cluster B (RRs: 6.18), involving only Mato Grosso, between 2011 and 2013; and (iii) cluster C (RRs:4.71), involving the states of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo, between 2010 and 2014. Only the states of Roraima and Amapá had no cases of equine rabies during the study period. Therefore, rabies in horses occurs in all Brazilian regions, with areas at high risk of infection concentrated in the Southeast. However, attention should be directed to the north-eastern and northern states, where notifications were infrequent, with an unknown risk in relation to the spread of rabies to transboundary regions. This is the first study evaluating the interstate distribution of rabies in equine species in regions of Brazil.
Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2022-01-04 PubMed ID: 34990596DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106302Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research investigates the geographical and chronological spread of horse rabies in Brazil between 2010 and 2019, revealing regions with high infection risks and indicating an increase in certain areas over the study period.

Overview of Rabies Spread in Brazil

  • The study presents an analysis of the spread of equine rabies across Brazil over ten years, between 2010 and 2019.
  • It is informed by the cultural, sporting, and economic importance of horses in Brazil, and the potentially neglected zoonotic (animal to human) risk posed by horse rabies.

Findings

  • The study recorded 1290 cases of horse rabies across Brazil during this period, primarily in the states of São Paulo (21.7% of cases) and Mato Grosso (13.3% of cases).
  • However, the highest incidence risk (IR) was in Espírito Santo, documenting 139.7 cases per 100,000 horses.
  • The years 2013 and 2017 saw the highest peaks of IR, driven in large part by increases in Mato Grosso, São Paulo, and Espírito Santo.
  • There was no obvious monthly pattern to the spread of the disease among the states.
  • The overall temporal trend indicated growing incidence in the northeastern region and Alagoas State, evidenced by Annual Percentage Change (APC) rates of 8.9% and 26.6% respectively.
  • The spatiotemporal analysis identified three major risk clusters: A in Minas Gerais (2017-2019), B in Mato Grosso (2011-2013), and C involving both Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo (2010-2014).
  • Only the states of Roraima and Amapá saw no cases of equine rabies during the study period.

Implications

  • Rabies is present in horses across all regions of Brazil, with higher risk concentrations in the Southeast.
  • Despite their lower reported incidence of horse rabies, the northeastern and northern states might pose growing threats due to their increasing APC rates.
  • This research marks the first assessment of the interstate distribution of rabies among horses in Brazil’s regions.
  • It cautions against potential negligence of the zoonotic danger and highlights the risk of disease spread to regions beyond Brazil’s borders.

Cite This Article

APA
Oliveira FAS, Castro RJS, de Oliveira JF, Barreto FM, Farias MPO, Marinho GLOC, Soares MJDS, Silva-Júnior A, Schwarz DGG. (2022). Geographical and temporal spread of equine rabies in Brazil. Acta Trop, 227, 106302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106302

Publication

Acta tropica
ISSN: 1873-6254
NlmUniqueID: 0370374
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 227
Pages: 106302

Researcher Affiliations

Oliveira, Francisco Alyson Silva
  • Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas (CPCE), Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), BR 135 Km 03, Planalto Norte, Bom Jesus, Piauí 64900-000, Brazil.
Castro, Rivanni Jeniffer Souza
  • Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas (CPCE), Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), BR 135 Km 03, Planalto Norte, Bom Jesus, Piauí 64900-000, Brazil.
de Oliveira, Juliana Ferreira
  • Campus Avançado Ponte Nova, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Minas Gerais (IFMG), Ponte Nova, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Barreto, Flávia Melo
  • Agricultural Defense Agency of Piauí (ADAPI), Teresina, Piauí, Brazil.
Farias, Márcia Paula Oliveira
  • Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas (CPCE), Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), BR 135 Km 03, Planalto Norte, Bom Jesus, Piauí 64900-000, Brazil.
Marinho, Glenda Lídice de Oliveira Cortez
  • Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas (CPCE), Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), BR 135 Km 03, Planalto Norte, Bom Jesus, Piauí 64900-000, Brazil.
Soares, Maria José Dos Santos
  • Campus Ministro Petrônio Portela, Veterinary Morphology Department of Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil.
Silva-Júnior, Abelardo
  • Veterinary Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Schwarz, David Germano Gonçalves
  • Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas (CPCE), Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), BR 135 Km 03, Planalto Norte, Bom Jesus, Piauí 64900-000, Brazil. Electronic address: dggs@ufpi.edu.br.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Geography
  • Horses
  • Incidence
  • Rabies / epidemiology
  • Rabies / veterinary
  • Spatio-Temporal Analysis

Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
  1. Silva VVD, Leite DPSBM, Gonçalves LMT, Oliveira PRF, Junior JWP, Mota RA. Identification of persistent clusters and temporal trends of glanders in horses throughout Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 2025 Sep;56(3):2193-2203.
    doi: 10.1007/s42770-025-01730-wpubmed: 40715785google scholar: lookup
  2. Yondo A, Enyetornye B, Velayudhan BT. Insights into the occurrence of rabies viruses in multi-species animals based on diagnostic laboratory submissions. Microbiol Spectr 2025 Aug 5;13(8):e0041925.
    doi: 10.1128/spectrum.00419-25pubmed: 40503830google scholar: lookup
  3. Carvalho KS, de Barros CSL, Mendonça FS, Machado M, Riet-Correa F. Diseases of the nervous system of equids in Brazil: a review. J Vet Diagn Invest 2025 Sep;37(5):729-752.
    doi: 10.1177/10406387251325881pubmed: 40443203google scholar: lookup
  4. Ali YH, Mohieddeen TAG, Abdellatif MM, Ahmed BM, Saeed IK, Attaalfadeel HM, Ali AA. Rabies in equids in Sudan. Onderstepoort J Vet Res 2024 Sep 26;91(1):e1-e10.
    doi: 10.4102/ojvr.v91i1.2181pubmed: 39354785google scholar: lookup
  5. Ventura MCDS, Neves JMM, Pinheiro RDS, Santos MVC, de Lemos ERS, Horta MAP. The Silent Threat: Unraveling the Impact of Rabies in Herbivores in Brazil. Animals (Basel) 2024 Aug 8;14(16).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14162305pubmed: 39199839google scholar: lookup
  6. Mogano K, Sabeta CT, Suzuki T, Makita K, Chirima GJ. Patterns of Animal Rabies Prevalence in Northern South Africa between 1998 and 2022. Trop Med Infect Dis 2024 Jan 22;9(1).
    doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed9010027pubmed: 38276638google scholar: lookup
  7. Sodré DNA, Rossi GAM, Mathias LA, de Andrade Belo MA. Epidemiology and Control of Rabies in Cattle and Equines in Rondônia State, a Brazilian's Legal Amazon Area. Animals (Basel) 2023 Sep 20;13(18).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13182974pubmed: 37760375google scholar: lookup
  8. Mataca AR, Oliveira FAS, Lampeão ÂA, Mendonça JP, Moreira MAS, Mota RA, Porto WJN, Schwarz DGG, Silva-Júnior A. High-Risk Regions of African Swine Fever Infection in Mozambique. Viruses 2023 Apr 20;15(4).
    doi: 10.3390/v15041010pubmed: 37112990google scholar: lookup
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