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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2024; 14(16); doi: 10.3390/ani14162305

The Silent Threat: Unraveling the Impact of Rabies in Herbivores in Brazil.

Abstract: Rabies, a zoonotic viral disease, poses a significant threat due to its adaptability to diverse environments. Herbivore rabies, predominantly affecting cattle, horses, and goats in Brazil, remains a concern, results in substantial losses in the livestock industry, and poses risks to public health. Rabies virus transmission, primarily through hematophagous bats in Latin America, underscores the need for effective strategies, and vaccination plays a crucial role in controlling herbivorous rabies, with systematic vaccination beingly the primary method. Efforts to control rabies in herbivores include vaccination campaigns, public awareness programs, and the enhancement of surveillance systems. Despite these initiatives, rabies persists and imposes an economic burden and a significant health risk. Economic impacts include losses in the livestock industry, trade restrictions on livestock products, and financial burdens on governments and farmers owing to control measures. Despite the considerable costs of campaigns, surveillance, and control, investing in rabies vaccination and control not only safeguards livestock, but also preserves public health, reduces human cases, and strengthens the sustainability of the livestock industry. Mitigating the impact of herbivorous rabies in Brazil requires integrated approaches and continuous investments in vaccination, surveillance, and control measures to protect public health and ensure the sustainability of the livestock industry, thus contributing to food and economic security.
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Publication Date: 2024-08-08 PubMed ID: 39199839PubMed Central: PMC11350903DOI: 10.3390/ani14162305Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research discusses the problem of rabies in herbivores like cattle, horses, and goats in Brazil that leads to significant losses in the livestock industry and threaten public health, despite control efforts. It emphasizes the importance of vaccination programs, voice raises for more integrated approaches and the need for continuous investment in such measures to mitigate its impact.

Rabies in Brazilian Herbivores

  • The study highlights the constant threat posed by rabies, a zoonotic viral disease known for its adaptability to varied environments.
  • The primary victims in Brazil are herbivores – namely cattle, horses, and goats. This poses a dual threat of causing extensive damage to the livestock industry and imposing considerable health risks to humans.
  • Rabies virus is mainly transmitted through hematophagous (blood-eating) bats in Latin America.

Vaccination and Control Efforts

  • Vaccination plays a critical role in controlling rabies in herbivores. In fact, systematic vaccination is identified as the primary method of control in this study.
  • Various efforts to control the impacts of rabies include public awareness programs, vaccination campaigns, and strengthening surveillance systems.
  • Regardless of these measures, the persistence of the disease results in heavy economic burdens and posits substantial health risks.

Economic Implications

  • The research indicates that the ongoing spread of rabies leads to losses in the livestock industry, instates trade restrictions on livestock products, and unnecessarily drains governmental and farmers’ revenues incurred during control measures implementation.
  • Even though the necessary rabies campaigns, surveillance, and control measures levy considerable costs, these investments are crucial. This is because they not only protect livestock but also preserve public health, reduce the number of human cases, and thereby strengthen the sustainability of the livestock industry.

Integrated Approaches Needed

  • Despite the severity of the issue, the paper suggests that the impact of rabies in herbivores in Brazil can be mitigated through the use of integrated approaches and continuous investment.
  • This includes a consistent focus on vaccination, surveillance, control measures, and an emphasis on public awareness to protect public health and ensure the sustainability of the livestock industry.
  • Such continuous efforts will also contribute towards food and economic security.

Cite This Article

APA
Ventura MCDS, Neves JMM, Pinheiro RDS, Santos MVC, de Lemos ERS, Horta MAP. (2024). The Silent Threat: Unraveling the Impact of Rabies in Herbivores in Brazil. Animals (Basel), 14(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14162305

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 16

Researcher Affiliations

Ventura, Marcelo Cardoso da Silva
  • Federal Institute of Education of Piauí, Teresina 64000-040, Brazil.
Neves, Jéssica Milena Moura
  • Biosafety Level 3 Facility, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil.
Pinheiro, Randyson da Silva
  • Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Epidemiology, Federal Institute of Education of Piauí, Teresina 64000-040, Brazil.
Santos, Marcos Vinicius Costa
  • Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Epidemiology, Federal Institute of Education of Piauí, Teresina 64000-040, Brazil.
de Lemos, Elba Regina Sampaio
  • Hantavirosis and Rickettsiosis Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil.
Horta, Marco Aurelio Pereira
  • Biosafety Level 3 Facility, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Rupprecht CE, Belsare AV, Cliquet F, Mshelbwala PP, Seetahal JFR, Wicker VV. The Challenge of Lyssavirus Infections in Domestic and Other Animals: A Mix of Virological Confusion, Consternation, Chagrin, and Curiosity. Pathogens 2025 Jun 13;14(6).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens14060586pubmed: 40559594google scholar: lookup
  2. Castillo Giraudo M, Orozco MM, Zabalza MJ, Minatel L, Novaro LP, Centurión GA, Fabeiro MA, Coppola L, Marchione VD, Artuso MC, Aon PD, Russo SE. First Report of Paralytic Rabies in a Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in Argentina. Viruses 2025 Apr 15;17(4).
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  3. Soler-Tovar D, Escobar LE. Rabies transmitted from vampires to cattle: An overview. PLoS One 2025;20(1):e0317214.
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