Rabies control in Belgium: From eradication in foxes to import of a contaminated dog

Abstract

Rabies is a lethal viral encephalitis of mammals. This article reviews important aspects of rabies control in Belgium. From the sixties to the nineties, the virus caused an epidemic in foxes in the south of Belgium. Thanks to successive vaccination campaigns starting from 1989, the disease was eradicated in foxes. Belgium was declared free by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) in 2001. Different measures are in place to maintain this free status, including surveillance in wild carnivores and domestic animals and the European pet travel scheme. This scheme implies that pets can only be imported from risk regions after vaccination and confirmation of immunity by an antibody test. Data on the distribution of negative and positive results with this test in vaccinated animals are presented in this article. Further, a new case of rabies in a dog in Beersel, 3.5 months is described after import from Morocco. Finally, the unique role of bats in rabies epidemiology is elaborated.