Health and economic burden of canine rabies in Chilga district, centeral Gondar Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Rabies is a deadly neglected tropical disease caused by a Lyssavirus that affects all warm-blooded animals, including humans. While canine rabies is prevalent in Ethiopia, its public health and economic burden is not well understood due to a lack of reliable surveillance data. This study aimed to estimate the economic and public health burden of canine rabies in Chilga district, Northwest Ethiopia. The study was conducted retrospectively over two years, from September 2017 to September 2019. A multistage cluster sampling approach was used to select representative households for data collection. A total of 768 households’ heads were interviewed to collect data about rabies in their family members, dogs and livestock. The public health burden of the disease was estimated in disability adjusted life years (DALYs), while the economic burden was estimated by aggregating the costs of rabies in humans and livestock using cost estimation equations. The annual human rabies death in the district was estimated at 37deaths/100,000 populations (95%CI:10–95). The overall public health burden of canine rabies in the district was 1576.5 DALYs/100,000 population (95% CI: 424 – 4025) per year. The economic burden of rabies in the district was estimated at 887.3 ETB/household (95%CI: 688.0-1109.2)/two year. The major portion (76.7%) of the economic burden was contributed by livestock losses. Generally, the study revealed a significant public health and economic burden estimates of canine rabies in the district that needs a control intervention focus on dog vaccination, which could have significant impact in reducing both public health and economic burden.Author summary: Rabies, caused by the Lyssavirus, affects all warm-blooded animals, including humans, and poses a significant public health threat in Ethiopia, particularly due to canine rabies. This study assessed the economic and health burdens of canine rabies using a multistage cluster sampling method to interview 768 household heads. The findings revealed a public health burden of 37 deaths per 100,000 population annually, resulting in 1,576.5 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost per 100,000. The economic burden was estimated at 887.3 Ethiopian birr per household/two year, primarily due to livestock losses, which accounted for 76.7%. The study highlights the urgent need for interventions, particularly dog vaccination, to mitigate the public health and economic burdens of rabies.