On World Rabies Day, celebrated this Saturday (28), the Ministry of Health reported that it intends to vaccinate 28 million dogs and cats in all units of the Federation. The figure includes routine vaccination, outbreak prevention and immunization through a campaign in the 22 states and the federal district.

In a memorandum, the ministry explained that the proposal aims to eliminate rabies, which is transmitted through dogs, and ensure the protection of both residents and pets, a strategy considered key to preventing an outbreak of the disease. The country has not recorded human cases of rabies transmitted by dogs since 2015.

Dosages

The Ministry stated that this year it distributed 1,355,260 doses of the vaccine against Human anger. As of September 12, 669,578 of them have been applied.

As for the rabies vaccination campaign for dogs and cats, 23,802,350 doses have been distributed so far.

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According to the Ministry, during recent years, the spread of human cases in Brazil, classified as sporadic and episodic, is linked to the forest cycle of rabies, where transmission of the disease occurs mainly via bats, monkeys and foxes.

“Annual campaigns in the most at-risk areas and focus groups have proven to be a tool for controlling rabies in dogs and cats, resulting in a significant reduction in cases of human rabies transmitted by these animals, with the last human case transmitted by dogs recorded eight years ago.” .

Data in the volume show that between 1999 and 2024, Brazil went from 1,200 cases of rabies in dogs to just ten, all of them infected with variants from wild animals.

illness

Rabies is an acute and serious viral infectious disease that affects mammals, including humans. It is considered extremely important for public health, as its lethality rate is close to 100%, in addition to being a disease that can be eradicated in the urban cycle and the presence of effective preventive measures, such as vaccinating humans and animals, providing human anti-rabies serum, and implementing concentration blocks.

Rabies is transmitted to humans through the saliva of infected animals, mainly through bites, but also through scratching and licking by these animals. The incubation period varies between species, from days to years, with an average of 45 days in humans, and may be shorter in children.

The incubation period is related to the location, extent, and depth of biting, scratching, and licking. The proximity of the virus entry point to the brain and nerve trunks; The concentration of inoculated viral particles and the viral strain.

After the incubation period, signs and symptoms appear that last on average from two to ten days. During this period the patient suffers from: a feeling of general malaise. Slight increase in temperature. Anorexia. headache; nausea; sore throat. numbness; Irritability. restlessness; And feeling pain.

In dogs and cats, the virus is eliminated via saliva two to five days before clinical signs appear and persists throughout the course of the disease (transmission period). The animal's death occurs, on average, five to seven days after symptoms appear.

It is not known with certainty how long the virus is transmitted in wild animals. However, it is known that bats can carry the virus for long periods, without showing obvious symptoms, and are currently the main animal transmitting rabies to human populations, especially in remote places.