Challenges facing human rabies control: the Lebanese experience
Epidemiology and Infection·
- DOI
- 10.1017/s0950268813002392
- PMID
- 24067449
- PMCID
- PMC9151185
- OpenAlex
- W2061545303
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The authors emphasize prevention through vector control, public awareness and education, and timely active and passive immunization, and they highlight the importance of regional cooperation and monitoring viral variant circulation in wild animals.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study re-assesses the situation of human rabies in Lebanon and compares it to other Middle Eastern countries, focusing on control challenges.
Study design
A journal article reporting retrospective surveillance data on reported rabies cases and animal bites submitted to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health between 2001 and 2012.
Population and setting
The setting is Lebanon, with a reported total of eight rabies cases and 5,280 animal bite incidents to humans recorded by the Ministry of Public Health during 2001–2012; dogs were identified as the sole infection vector.
Main findings
Dogs were responsible for most reported animal bites to humans and were the only vector of infection. An average of 3·2 vaccine doses per bite was administered as post-exposure prophylaxis during the study period.
Public-health relevance
The authors emphasize prevention through vector control, public awareness and education, and timely active and passive immunization, and they highlight the importance of regional cooperation and monitoring viral variant circulation in wild animals.
Important limitations
This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract/metadata and requires the original paper for decision-grade interpretation; the abstract does not state explicit limitations of the analysis.
GIDS interpretation
The paper offers historical, regionally contextualized information on rabies reporting and bite incidence in Lebanon that could support discoverability of prior control efforts, without connecting to any live surveillance signal.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 12 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.