Dog, Fox, and Cattle Rabies in New York State. Evaluation of Vaccination in Dogs

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Abstract
During the period 1944-1947 the incidence of rabies in animals in Upstate New York increased strikingly from the endemic level of approx. 100 cases per yr. that had been maintained during the previous decade. The increase has been nearly 10-fold, with 313 rabid animals in 1944, 662 in 1945, and a peak of 1,175 in 1946. This epizootic has been unusual since it has been accompanied by the introduction of rabies into wild foxes, and these in turn have given rise to many cases in cattle. In the peak year, 1946, 308 rabid foxes were reported and 440 rabid cattle, as compared to only 376 rabid dogs. Attempts have been made to control the spread of fox rabies through establishing a trapping zone around the area involved. This has met with some apparent success, although the disease continues to spread in a radial fashion in this species. The situation has offered unusual opportunities for evaluation of the efficacy of canine antirabies vaccination as a control measure. During the past 2 yrs. countywide dog vaccination programs have been sponsored in 24 counties and in 12, revaccination has been carried out. Particularly informative has been the experience in 10 central New York counties where fox and cattle rabies has continued to occur and where dog rabies has essentially disappeared. All of these 10 counties have vaccinated over 70% of their enumerated dog populations, and clear-cut evidence of the benefit of vaccination is demonstrable, the attack rate in vaccinated dogs being only 1/18 that in non-vaccinated dogs observed during the same period in the same area. The paper describes in some detail the control program organized in New York State and emphasizes the importance of (1) the county as the control unit, (2) an educa- tional program to implement the application of control measures, and (3) the granting of financial assistance by the state to counties for dog vaccination clinics. The success of this program is demonstrated by the striking decline in canine rabies in the Upstate area, there having been 300 rabid dogs reported during the first 9 mos. of 1946 compared to only 40 for the same period in 1947. This decline has occurred despite the reporting of 218 rabid foxes and 173 rabid cattle during the latter period. Although fox rabies has failed to maintain the epizootic in dogs, it undoubtedly has given rise to most of the sporadic cases of dog rabies occurring during the past year. Except for a single human case in 1945 and another in 1944, no human rabies has occurred in Upstate New York since 1930.

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