Investigation on animal and human rabies in cases from Mazandaran and Golestan provinces referred to the Amol Research Center, Northern Iran in 2003–2005

摘要

Rabies has been endemic in Mazandaran and Golestan provinces for long time and it was a cause of some outbreaks of disease in the north of Iran especially in Golestan province. This study has been carried out in northern part of Iran for three years from 2003 to 2005. Eighty six animal bite cases were investigated and out of them, %20 was female and %80 was male. Average ages of samples were 26.5, 32 and 29.3 among female, male and in all samples respectively. According to the location of bites, 48 cases (%55.8) were in hands, 26 cases (%32.2) in feet, 11 cases (%12.8) in body and one case (%1.2) in head. Animals were involved in biting were dog (%73), mouse (%6), cat (%5), cow and jackals (%3.5), donkey (%2.5) and fox, sheep, tiger (%1.3 each). Results of immuno-fluorescent assay revealed that 36 out of 86 dogs, 0 out of 5 mice, 0 out of 4 cats, 2 out of 3 Jackals, 3 out of 3 cows, 1 out of 2 donkeys, 1 out of 1 sheep, 1 out of 1 fox and 0 out of 1 tiger were positive. In this study, data analysis indicated no human cases of rabies in the collected samples. The results confirmed a high prevalence rate of animal form of rabies in northern district of Iran, which is required an extra precaution strategy.