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. 2016 Oct;144(14):3068-3079.
doi: 10.1017/S0950268816001527. Epub 2016 Jul 20.

Rabies outbreak in Greece during 2012-2014: use of Geographical Information System for analysis, risk assessment and control

A Giannakopoulos  1 , G Valiakos  1 , K Papaspyropoulos  2 , G Dougas  3 , L M Korou  4 , K E Tasioudi  5 , G C Fthenakis  1 , M R Hutchings  6 , D Kaimaras  7 , C N Tsokana  1 , P Iliadou  5 , V Spyrou  8 , M Tzani  4 , P Birtsas  9 , P Kostoglou  4 , C Sokos  1 , S Doudounakis  10 , L Yon  11 , D Hannant  11 , M Artois  12 , S Tsiodras  13 , C Hadjichristodoulou  3 , C Billinis  1
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Rabies outbreak in Greece during 2012-2014: use of Geographical Information System for analysis, risk assessment and control

A Giannakopoulos et al. Epidemiol Infect. 2016 Oct.

Abstract

The objectives of this work were (i) geographical analysis of the 2012-2014 outbreak of rabies in Greece using GIS and (ii) comparative analysis of animal cases with data of potential human exposure to rabies together with environmental data, in order to provide information for risk assessment, effective monitoring and control. Most animal cases (40/48) involved red foxes, while domestic animals were also diagnosed with rabies. Overall, 80% of the cases were diagnosed in central northern Greece; 75% of the cases were diagnosed in low altitudes (<343·5 m), within a distance of 1 km from human settlements. Median distance from livestock farms was 201·25 m. Most people potentially exposed to rabies (889/1060) presented with dog bite injuries. Maximum entropy analysis revealed that distance from farms contributed the highest percentage in defining environmental niche profiles for rabid foxes. Oral vaccination programmes were implemented in 24 administrative units of the country during 2013 and 2014, covering a total surface area of ~60 000 km2. Rabies re-occurrence in Greece emphasizes the need for ongoing surveillance in cross-border areas and in areas with intense human activity.

Keywords: Fox; Geographical Information System; Greece; rabies.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Animal rabies cases diagnosed in Greece during the period 1951–1989.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Map of geographical location of animal rabies cases diagnosed in Greece in conjunction with the negative animal samples of the passive surveillance and the rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in humans (October 2012–June 2014).
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Map of geographical location of animal rabies cases diagnosed in Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), in relation to topographic configuration at landscape level.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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