Abstract:Introduction: Rabies is a deadly viral zoonotic disease caused by the lyssavirus of the Rhabdoviridae family but preventable by vaccination, having significant public health apprehension. Preventive measures like mass anti-rabies vaccination are the best solution to eradicate the disease and control by adopting the “One Health Approach” through proper coordination and measures taken by the veterinary and human health sectors.
Method: A total of 216 sera samples were evaluated from companion animals by using Commercial ELISA kits (Plateliatm rabies II assay ad Vetarinarium Bio-rad Ref: 3550180 USA), out of which 141 were from pet animals and 75 were from community animals.
Result: In pet animals, the highest mean antibody titre was observed in group II (<2 - 5 years) in pet dogs at 0.714 EU/ml and a group I (6 months - 2 years) at 0.763 EU/ml in pet cats. A significant difference were observed between age groups of pet dogs. In community animals, variables such as interval after pre exposure ARV and sex of the animals were considered. A total of 75 serum samples were collected from the community animals, and highest mean antibody titre of 0.662 EU/ml and 0.865 EU/ml were observed in community dogs and cats of group I (<1 month after ARV). No significant differences were observed between gender and anti-rabies antibody titre.
Conclusion: Compared to pet animals, low seroprevalences of rabies antibodies in community animals indicated that community animals are still susceptible to rabies virus infection in and around Mumbai.