Estimating the economic impact of canine rabies to Viet Nam 2005–2014

Authors

Stephanie A. Shwiff, USDA APHIS Wildlife ServicesFollow
Vienna R. Brown, Colorado State UniversityFollow
Thu Trang Dao, One Health Partnership
Julie Elser, USDA APHIS Wildlife ServicesFollow
Hoang Xuan Trung, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences
Nguyen Ngoc Tien, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Nguyen Thi Huong, Ministry of Health, Vietnam
Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Vietnam
Arthorn Riewpaiboon, Mahidol University
Karina Ernst, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services
Steven Shwiff, Texas A&MFollow
David Payne, United Nations Development Program

ORCID IDs

0000-0002-2938-3987

Date of this Version

2018

Citation

Shwiff, S.A., V.R. Brown, T.T. Dao, J.L. Elser, H.X. Trung, N.N. Tien, N.T. Huong, N.T.T. Huong, A. Riewpaiboon, K.H. Ernst, S. Shwiff, and D. Payne. 2018. Estimating the economic impact of canine rabies to Viet Nam 2005–2014. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 12(10):e0006866. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006866

Comments

U.S. Government work

Abstract

The global economic impact of canine rabies has been estimated by several studies. Asia bears a disproportionate burden of this zoonosis due to high levels of human deaths and rates of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), but low investment in preventative dog vaccination. The same factors that cause rabies to burden much of Asia are also present in Viet Nam. This study estimated the economic burden of canine rabies in a societal perspective including direct and indirect cost of rabies in dogs, livestock, and humans. Using data collected from personal interviews, published literature, published and supplementary reports, and primary data collection, we estimated the economic impact of canine rabies in Viet Nam over a ten year period (2005–2014). We incorporated the direct and indirect costs for PEP, dog vaccination efforts, livestock losses, and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) into the analysis. General findings from this analysis indicated that over the 10 year study period, the total economic impact of canine rabies was over $719 million USD. The largest portion of impacts (92%) were made up of PEP-related costs. Canine rabies created between 36,560 and 45,700 DALYs, measured in years of life lost (YLL). A total of 914 human deaths were reported over the study period. Deaths/100,000 people were 0.11, which is lower than the reported level for Asian countries. The cost per dog vaccinated was $1.75 USD. Our results indicate that canine rabies impacts in Viet Nam are consistent with the burden elsewhere reported in Asia, with large expenditures on PEP and very small investments in dog vaccination.