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Rabies remains a serious threat to public health in Asia, Africa and some parts of Europe with a case fatality rate of 95%. We adopted wavelet analysis to study the long-term recurrence of global rabies outbreaks and found that a 3- to 4-year periodicity has existed since 2005. Furthermore, a simple compartmental model is developed and analyzed to study the transmission dynamics, and to show the existence of the observed periodicity as well as the endemic feature of rabies among animals. Our findings indicate the existence of the oscillation patterns (recurrence), and the epidemic is at its peak since 2018.

Our models characterize the transmission dynamics of rabies between human and dogs. Firstly, we build an ODE model to represent the natural spreading of rabies in dogs and human. We get the basic reproductive number R₀ and the global stability for both the disease-free equilibrium and the endemic equilibrium. Then, we build a controlling model for rabies. We compare the efficiency of three strategies for controlling the rabies: culling, vaccination, culling and vaccination, and get controlling thresholds for different strategies. The results of analysis and simulations indicate that vaccination is the best choice and culling is the worst one to control rabies. Vaccination on dogs in cities and culling and vaccination on dogs in rural areas of China are recommended for controlling rabies. Our study provides a theoretical basis for controlling rabies in China.

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The objective of this study was to investigate the causes of death and potential diseases carried by the wild-ranging carnivores in Taiwan through a government-supported disease survey program. During the period of August 2011 to January 2015, a total of 51 carcasses from rescued but dead or road-killed carnivores were necropsied for histopathology, molecular and immunological assays, microbiology, and parasitology. The cases included 31 Taiwan ferret badgers (TWFBs) (Melogale moschata subaurantiaca), 12 masked palm civets (MPCs) (Paguma larvate taivana), 5 small Chinese civets (SCCs) (Viverricula indica pallida), and 3 crab-eating mongooses (CEMs) (Herpestes urva). Zoonotic rabies and fatal canine distemper were diagnosed in four TWFBs and three MPCs, respectively. A high prevalence rate of lungworm infestation (23/31; 74.2%) was observed in TWFBs. In addition, a unique fatal Staphylococcus hyicus pneumonia and a fatal heavy systemic sarcopic mange infestation were diagnosed in a TWFB and a suckling MPC kid, respectively. Road traffic accidents and stray dog-associated killing were the most common etiologies for the death of wild-ranging carnivores.

The outbreaks of Taiwan ferret badger rabies reported in 2013 terminated the “rabies-free” status of Taiwan. Subsequent phylogenetic and divergence analyses have demonstrated that Taiwan ferret badger rabies virus (RABV-TWFB) might have emerged 100 years previously; however, most rabies cases were restricted to the Formosan ferret badger. In this study, pathogenic characteristics of mouse intracranial median lethal dose (MICLD${}_{50})$, median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID${}_{50})$, mortality development patterns, and peripheral infection of RABV-TWFB were evaluated in experimental rodents. The results revealed that RABV-TWFB had low MICLD${}_{50}$ titers, whereas TCID${}_{50}$ titers could not be determined. Compared with the typical street rabies virus, the overall mortality development patterns were later onset and slower progression. RABV-TWFB was unable to produce peripheral infection in the experimental rodents. Taken together, RABV-TWFB was less virulent to experimental rodents than other more typical RABV strains. To provide more appropriate strategies for epidemics management, the pathogenic properties of RABV-TWFB should be further investigated using ferret badgers and sympatric animals as models.