A5017029332- Rabies epidemiology and control
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology
- Microbial infections and disease research
- Vector-Borne Animal Diseases
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Poxvirus research and outbreaks
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Bacillus and Francisella bacterial research
- Viral Infections and Immunology Research
- Biomedical and Engineering Education
- Plant and animal studies
- Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- T-cell and Retrovirus Studies
- Agriculture and Rural Development Research
Glasgow Centre for Population Health
2020-2024
University of Glasgow
2020-2024
Ifakara Health Institute
2018-2024
Washington State University
2024
Sokoine University of Agriculture
2015-2023
Tens of thousands people die from dog-mediated rabies annually. Deaths can be prevented through post-exposure prophylaxis for who have been bitten, and the disease eliminated dog vaccination. Current use saves many lives, but availability remains poor in rabies-endemic countries due to high costs, access, supply.
Abstract Landscape heterogeneity plays an important role in disease spread and persistence, but quantifying landscape influences their scale dependence is challenging. Studies have focused on how environmental features or global transport networks influence pathogen invasion spread, local transmission dynamics that underpin the persistence of endemic diseases remains unexplored. Bayesian phylogeographic frameworks incorporate spatial heterogeneities are promising tools for analysing linked...
How acute pathogens persist and what curtails their epidemic growth in the absence of acquired immunity remains unknown. Canine rabies is a fatal zoonosis that circulates endemically at low prevalence among domestic dogs low- middle-income countries. We traced transmission population 50,000 Tanzania from 2002 to 2016 applied individual-based models these spatially resolved data investigate mechanisms modulating scale over which they operate. Although never exceeded 0.15%, best-fitting...
<ns4:p>Genomic surveillance is an important aspect of contemporary disease management but has yet to be used routinely monitor endemic transmission and control in low- middle-income countries. Rabies almost invariably fatal viral that causes a large public health economic burden Asia Africa, despite being entirely vaccine preventable. With policy efforts now directed towards achieving global goal zero dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030, establishing effective tools critical. Genomic...
For more than 100 years, canine rabies vaccination has been available as a tool for control and elimination. However, domestic dogs still remain major reservoir rabies, although eliminated through mass dog in some parts of the world, disease continues to kill tens thousands people every year Africa Asia. This review focuses on situation those two continents, presenting evidence show that elimination is both epidemiologically operationally feasible, could be achieved across wide range...
Genomic surveillance is an important aspect of contemporary disease management but has yet to be used routinely monitor endemic transmission and control in low- middle-income countries. Rabies almost invariably fatal viral that causes a large public health economic burden Asia Africa, despite being entirely vaccine preventable. With policy efforts now directed towards achieving global goal zero dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030, establishing effective tools critical. data can provide...
Abstract Rabies virus is a multi-host zoonotic pathogen that endemic across large parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This case study reports One Health approach to rabies in Tanzania which highlights the value multi-sectoral collaboration and illustrates importance understanding reservoir dynamics pathogens when targeting interventions. As part our research, we have established contact tracing for Tanzania. involves identifying patients presenting with animal-bite injuries investigating animals...
Rabies can be eliminated by achieving comprehensive coverage of 70% domestic dogs during annual mass vaccination campaigns. Estimates are therefore required to evaluate and manage dog programmes, however there is no specific guidance for the most accurate efficient methods estimating in different settings. Here we compare post-vaccination transects, school-based surveys household across 28 districts southeast Tanzania Pemba island covering rural, urban, coastal inland settings, a range...
This study is the first to partially quantify potential economic benefits that a vaccine, effective at protecting cattle against malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), could accrue pastoralists living in East Africa. The would result from removal of household resource and management costs are traditionally incurred avoiding disease. MCF, fatal disease caused by virus transmitted wildebeest calves, has plagued Maasai communities Africa for generations. threat forces move less productive grazing...
Abstract Background With a global target set for zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030 and some regional programmes close to eliminating canine rabies, there is an urgent need enhanced surveillance strategies suitable declaring freedom disease elimination of transmission with known confidence. Methods Using exhaustive contact tracing across settings in Tanzania we generated detailed data on incidence, rabid dog biting behaviour health-seeking bite victims. these compared case...
Human rabies can be prevented through mass dog vaccination campaigns; however, in endemic countries, pulsed central point campaigns do not always achieve the recommended coverage of 70%. This study describes development a novel approach to sustain high based on decentralized and continuous delivery. A campaign was conducted across 12 wards Mara region, Tanzania test this approach. Household surveys were used obtain data as well factors influencing vaccination. total 17,571 dogs vaccinated,...
Sustained vaccination coverage of domestic dog populations can interrupt rabies transmission. However, challenges remain including low owner participation, high operational costs associated with current (centralized and annually delivered (pulse)) approaches population turnover. To address these an alternative (community-based continuous mass (CBC-MDV)) approach was designed. We investigated the potential for successful normalization CBC-MDV into routine practice within context local...
Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a fatal lymphoproliferative disease of cattle that, in East Africa, results from transmission the causative virus, alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1), wildebeest. A vaccine field trial involving an attenuated AlHV-1 virus was performed over two wildebeest calving seasons on Simanjiro Plain northern Tanzania. Each phases consisted groups 50 vaccinated and unvaccinated cattle, which were subsequently exposed to challenge by herding toward Vaccination resulted...
Thermotolerant vaccines greatly improved the reach and impact of large-scale vaccination programs to eliminate diseases such as smallpox, polio rinderpest. A recent study demonstrated that potency Nobivac® Canine Rabies vaccine was not impacted following experimental storage at 30 °C for three months. We conducted a develop passive cooling device (PCD) could store thermotolerant under fluctuating subambient temperatures. Through participatory process with local communities in Northern...
Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a fatal disease of cattle that, in East Africa, follows contact with wildebeest excreting alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1). Recently an attenuated vaccine (atAlHV-1) was tested under experimental challenge on Friesian-Holstein (FH) and gave efficacy (VE) approximately 90%. However testing field conditions African breed, the shorthorn zebu cross (SZC), VE 56% suggesting that FH SZC may respond differently to vaccine. To investigate, trial carried out using...
Alcelaphine herpesvirus–1 (AlHV-1), a causative agent of malignant catarrhal fever in cattle, was detected wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) placenta tissue for the first time. Although viral load low, finding DNA over 50% 94 samples tested lends support to possibility that placental could play role disease transmission and calves are infected utero. Two loci were sequenced examine variation among virus obtained from cattle: ORF50 gene, encoding lytic cycle transactivator protein, A9.5...
Dog vaccination can eliminate rabies in dogs, but annual delivery strategies do not sustain coverage between campaigns. We describe the development of a community-based continuous mass dog (CBC-MDV) approach designed to improve and maintain Tanzania examine feasibility delivering this as well lessons for its optimization.We developed three CBC-MDV tested them against current strategy following UK Medical Research Council's guidance: i) developing an evidence-based theoretical framework...
Background: Thermostable vaccines greatly improved the reach and impact of large-scale programmes to eliminate infectious diseases such as smallpox, polio, rinderpest. A study from 2015 demonstrated that potency Nobivac ® Rabies vaccine was not impacted following experimental storage at 30°C for 3 months. Whether would remain efficacious under more natural, fluctuating temperature conditions remains unknown. We carried out a randomised controlled non-inferiority trial compare serological...
Many rabies endemic-countries have recognized as a public health problem that can be eliminated. As result, some countries started implementing small-scale vaccination programs with the aim of scaling them up. Post-vaccination serological monitoring is crucial to assess efficacy these programs. The recommended tests, rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test, and antibody virus neutralization (FAVN) are accurate; however, procedures require considerable expertise must carried out in high...
The Magombera forest is a home of endemic and endangered biological species such as Udzungwa red colobus monkey (Procolobus gordonorum) the chameleon (Kinyongia magomberae). However, facing high threat disappearing through resources extraction pressure from adjacent local communities. project aimed at improving conservation by involving communities provision education, restoration initiatives bee keeping alternative livelihoods. study revealed that concept well supported. Nevertheless,...
Abstract Vaccination programs are the mainstay of control for many infectious diseases. Heterogeneous coverage is hypothesised to reduce vaccination effectiveness, but this impact has not been quantified in real systems. We address gap using fine-scale data from two decades rabies contact tracing and dog campaigns Serengeti district, Tanzania. Using generalised linear mixed models, we find that current local (village-level) incidence decreases with increasing recent coverage. However, most...
Summary Background Approximately 60,000 people die from dog-mediated rabies annually. Low and heterogeneous coverage reduces the effectiveness of dog vaccination campaigns that can eliminate rabies. Campaigns typically involve teams travelling annually to villages deliver cold chain stored vaccines centralized headquarters. Thermotolerant enable novel decentralized delivery locally-stored by communities throughout year. We compared annual team-based versus continuous community-based...