Identification of Rabies Hotspots and Risk Zones in South and Central Kerala (India)
Antony MU, Abraham SS and Jiji RS
Published on: 2024-02-09
Abstract
Risk-based regionalization can support rabies control programs in developing countries with a targeted approach instead of spreading the resources thinly across the entire region. The occurrence of rabies in India is neither clearly distributed nor complete due to a lack of authentic data. Kerala, the south most state of India, has a robust laboratory surveillance capacity for rabies. However, there is inadequately collated and published information on the areas within the state that are at risk of rabies. Reported case numbers are a useful and convenient tool for identifying areas at risk. In this preliminary study, we used geo-mapping to identify risk areas and hotspots of rabies in nine districts located in the south and central regions of Kerala based on laboratory-confirmed rabies cases over a two-year period. The districts were classified into different risk categories, and we compared the spatial distribution over time to understand the changing trend. The study found that Thiruvananthapuram, Trissur, and Kollam districts had the highest risk in terms of both the number of cases and hotspots. Idukki district was the least risky area, while other districts were classified as moderate to high-risk. Rabies cases were reported from all districts, indicating that there were no rabies-risk-free areas in the region. Additionally, all municipal corporation areas were identified as hotspots. The spatial trend did not appear to differ significantly over the period. This risk estimation can assist policymakers and program managers in implementing an evidence-based, targeted approach.