Current status of animal rabies in Thailand

Canine rabies remains a serious public health problem in Thailand. The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute (QSMI) is the principal rabies diagnostic center in central Thailand. The retrospective study of canine rabies cases submitted in 1992-1995 revealed that: (1) The prevalence of rabid dogs decreased, which was associated with an overall decrease in the number of animals examined. However, the proportion of FA positive dogs examined remains the same at approximately 50%. (2) The majority of rabies cases occurred in domestic dogs rather than stray dogs but the ratio of positive cases between domestic and stray animals remained the same. (3) More than 60% of domestic rabid dogs were below age one. Dogs at this age are thought to be more active and also most likely nor adequately vaccinated. It should be noted that approximately 70% of rabid dogs were never vaccinated against rabies.