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First reported cases of rabies in the Republic of Macedonia
Author(s) -
Kirandjiski T.,
Mrenoski S.,
Celms I.,
Mitrov D.,
Dzadzovski I.,
Cvetkovikj I.,
Krstevski K.,
PicardMeyer E.,
Viviani P.,
Malinovski D.,
Demerson J. M.,
Cvetkovikj A.,
Davcheva K.,
Nakova E.,
Tomeska Mickova S.,
Cliquet F.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
veterinary record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.261
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 2042-7670
pISSN - 0042-4900
DOI - 10.1136/vr.100580
Subject(s) - medicine , rabies , animal health , veterinary medicine , family medicine , pathology
THE Republic of Macedonia is located in the southern region of the Balkan Peninsula. The country is bordered by Kosovo to the northwest, Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south and Albania to the west. The area of the country is 25,713 km2, including around 80 per cent mountains and 20 per cent plains. The majority of Macedonia has a moderate continental climate with warm and dry summers and autumns, and relatively cold and wet winters. There had been no rabies cases reported in the country since 2000. Fig 1 shows the total number of rabies cases reported in 2010 in neighbouring countries. In those areas, the vector and reservoir of the disease is the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) which is responsible for more than 88 per cent of the reported cases (data extracted from Rabies Bulletin Europe). All countries (except Albania and Greece which are reported as rabies-free) are currently enrolled in oral vaccination programmes which started in Kosovo in spring 2010. In Bulgaria, the first oral vaccination campaign was implemented in spring 2009 as well.Fig 1 Map of Macedonia and neighbouring countries with distribution of rabies cases in 2010 and in …