Risk Factors and Protective Immunity Against Rabies in Unvaccinated Butchers Working at Dog Slaughterhouses in Northern Vietnam.

Vietnam is a rabies-endemic country where eating dog meat is customary. However, the risks of rabies transmission to dog slaughtering and processing workers have not been identified. This study aimed to determine the rabies neutralizing antibody (NTA) and risk factors in dog slaughterers to propose appropriate intervention methods for this occupational group.

Rabies-infected dogs at slaughterhouses: A potential risk of rabies transmission via dog trading and butchering activities in Vietnam.

The study aimed to determine the status of neutralizing antibodies and rabies virus infection in dogs at slaughterhouses in Hanoi city from 2015 to 2017. A total of 2,376 pairs of blood and brain samples were collected from dogs at 92 slaughterhouses (8 large slaughterhouses and 84 small slaughterhouses) in 6 districts in Hanoi. Of the 1,500 dog samples from the large slaughterhouses where imported dogs were slaughtered, no dog brain samples were infected with rabies virus and no blood samples were positive for rabies neutralizing antibodies.

Evaluation of Rapid Neutralizing Antibody Detection Test against Rabies Virus in Human Sera.

Rapid and easy determination of protective neutralization antibody (NAb) against rabies in the field is very important for an early and effective response to rabies in both animal and human health sectors. The rapid neutralizing antibody detection test (RAPINA), first developed in 2009 and then improved in 2012, is a quick test allowing detection of 0.5 IU/ml antibodies in human and animal sera or plasma.