DOKUMENTATION DER TOLLWUT IN ÖSTERREICH 1945 - 2003

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Summery – Documentation of rabies in Austria 1945 - 2003
The aim of this study is the documentation of the temporal and spatial distribution of the
rabies epidemic in Austria from 1945 to 2003 and the illustration in form of tables and
geographical maps.
The present investigation is based on the records of the official rabies cases in domestic
and wild animals reported by the Österreichische Agentur für Gesundheit und
Ernährungssicherheit, Institut für veterinärmedizinische Untersuchungen in Mödling. In
addition, reported cases in the following journals have been published: Amtlichen
Veterinärnachrichten and Amtsblätter zur Wiener Zeitung.
After geo-referencing (allocation of the geographic coordinates) of the rabies cases and
of the regions vaccinated, the spatial-temporal structure of the data was visualised using a
geographical information system (GIS).
The first sylvatic rabies cases were discovered in Lower Austria in 1948. Up to this year
in the south eastern regions of Austria rabies was caused by domestic animals. Restrictive
veterinarian policy leads to an eradication of the urban rabies cases in 1950, followed by the
eradication of sylvatic rabies in 1957. Austria was rabies free till 1965. The next epidemic
phase reached Austria 1966 in Tirol and is ongoing until now. From Tirol the rabies has
spread eastwards with a transmission speed of 40-45 km/year. At the epidemic peak total
number of 4.051 rabies cases have been reported in 1978. Despite further dispersion from
then on, the number of rabies cases reduced about 80 % until 1981. The second peak was
reached in 1990 with 2.514 registered cases. Red Foxes accounted for 80.7 % of all infected
animals in terms of virus transmission and virus reservoir. As a result of fox ecology, the
rabies epizootic follows a clear seasonal pattern, with peaks in spring and autumn. Since 1945
36.887 rabies cases in animals were reported.
Since all classical rabies control measures failed, in 1991 - following field experiments -
the oral immunisation of foxes was introduced in the entire region of Austria. Until the end of
2003 a total number of 9.764.370 vaccination baits was used to cover an area of 584.128
square kilometres. A consequence of the rabies control strategy was the doubling of the
population density of red foxes since 1990. Therefore, the bait density was increased stepwise
from 13 to 25 peaces/square kilometres since 1997. The whole rabies surveillance causes
financial investments of more than 6. Mio. Euro.
Since 2000 only single rabies cases have been reported in districts near the borders of
Carinthia and Burgenland.
Keywords: rabies, epidemic, geographical informationsystem, GIS, control of epidemics, red
fox