Rabies at human-livestock-wildlife interface and its control through One Health approach in Ethiopia

Abstract Rabies is a viral infection that can be transmitted between all types of mammals and is found worldwide. It poses a particular threat to endangered wildlife species due to its high mortality rates. In Ethiopia, rabies is a common and concerning issue in both urban and rural areas due to the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Samatar Abshir Mahamed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: CABI 2025-05-01
Series:CABI One Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabionehealth.2025.0017
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849316473598640128
author Samatar Abshir Mahamed
author_facet Samatar Abshir Mahamed
author_sort Samatar Abshir Mahamed
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Rabies is a viral infection that can be transmitted between all types of mammals and is found worldwide. It poses a particular threat to endangered wildlife species due to its high mortality rates. In Ethiopia, rabies is a common and concerning issue in both urban and rural areas due to the presence of stray dogs and various wild carnivores. The disease is a significant public health problem in many parts of the country, with dogs playing a key role as carriers of the virus to humans, livestock, and wild animals. Approximately 97,000 individuals in Ethiopia need post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) annually, which amounts to a healthcare expenditure of around $2 million a year. Additionally, there are approximately 3000 human fatalities caused by rabies infections. A panel of human, animal, and environmental health experts has identified rabies as the top zoonotic disease priority in Ethiopia. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review rabies at the human-livestock-wildlife interface and emphasize the importance of a One Health approach for controlling the disease in Ethiopia. One Health impact statement This review analyzes the relationship between environmental, animal, and human health in tackling rabies at Ethiopia’s human-livestock-wildlife interface. Policy makers, veterinarians, public health experts, and wildlife conservationists can all benefit from the findings. Examining the One Health approach to rabies control, the study demonstrates how integrated approaches from the veterinary, environmental, and human sectors can lower the spread of rabies, stop human fatalities, and safeguard populations of livestock and wildlife. The development of sustainable, culturally relevant solutions that enhance health outcomes, lower economic losses, and preserve biodiversity has been made possible by the collaboration of these sectors, as well as feedback from local communities and indigenous knowledge. This transdisciplinary approach has resulted in the co-development of practical, context-specific strategies, demonstrating how collaboration can achieve outcomes that individual sectors alone cannot. The review emphasizes One Health’s transformative potential for improving public health and environmental sustainability in Ethiopia.
format Article
id doaj-art-3dfbe6ae12ec41dc8cf195d00a061931
institution Kabale University
issn 2791-223X
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher CABI
record_format Article
series CABI One Health
spelling doaj-art-3dfbe6ae12ec41dc8cf195d00a0619312025-08-20T03:51:44ZengCABICABI One Health2791-223X2025-05-014110.1079/cabionehealth.2025.0017Rabies at human-livestock-wildlife interface and its control through One Health approach in EthiopiaSamatar Abshir Mahamed0Department of One Health, Jigjiga University, EthioipiaAbstract Rabies is a viral infection that can be transmitted between all types of mammals and is found worldwide. It poses a particular threat to endangered wildlife species due to its high mortality rates. In Ethiopia, rabies is a common and concerning issue in both urban and rural areas due to the presence of stray dogs and various wild carnivores. The disease is a significant public health problem in many parts of the country, with dogs playing a key role as carriers of the virus to humans, livestock, and wild animals. Approximately 97,000 individuals in Ethiopia need post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) annually, which amounts to a healthcare expenditure of around $2 million a year. Additionally, there are approximately 3000 human fatalities caused by rabies infections. A panel of human, animal, and environmental health experts has identified rabies as the top zoonotic disease priority in Ethiopia. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review rabies at the human-livestock-wildlife interface and emphasize the importance of a One Health approach for controlling the disease in Ethiopia. One Health impact statement This review analyzes the relationship between environmental, animal, and human health in tackling rabies at Ethiopia’s human-livestock-wildlife interface. Policy makers, veterinarians, public health experts, and wildlife conservationists can all benefit from the findings. Examining the One Health approach to rabies control, the study demonstrates how integrated approaches from the veterinary, environmental, and human sectors can lower the spread of rabies, stop human fatalities, and safeguard populations of livestock and wildlife. The development of sustainable, culturally relevant solutions that enhance health outcomes, lower economic losses, and preserve biodiversity has been made possible by the collaboration of these sectors, as well as feedback from local communities and indigenous knowledge. This transdisciplinary approach has resulted in the co-development of practical, context-specific strategies, demonstrating how collaboration can achieve outcomes that individual sectors alone cannot. The review emphasizes One Health’s transformative potential for improving public health and environmental sustainability in Ethiopia.http://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabionehealth.2025.0017rabieshumanslivestockwildlife: one health
spellingShingle Samatar Abshir Mahamed
Rabies at human-livestock-wildlife interface and its control through One Health approach in Ethiopia
CABI One Health
rabies
humans
livestock
wildlife: one health
title Rabies at human-livestock-wildlife interface and its control through One Health approach in Ethiopia
title_full Rabies at human-livestock-wildlife interface and its control through One Health approach in Ethiopia
title_fullStr Rabies at human-livestock-wildlife interface and its control through One Health approach in Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Rabies at human-livestock-wildlife interface and its control through One Health approach in Ethiopia
title_short Rabies at human-livestock-wildlife interface and its control through One Health approach in Ethiopia
title_sort rabies at human livestock wildlife interface and its control through one health approach in ethiopia
topic rabies
humans
livestock
wildlife: one health
url http://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabionehealth.2025.0017
work_keys_str_mv AT samatarabshirmahamed rabiesathumanlivestockwildlifeinterfaceanditscontrolthroughonehealthapproachinethiopia