Major Causes of Rabies Outbreak in Pastoral Areas of the Somali Region and Importance of the One Health Approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT Rabies is a fatal disease caused by a virus belonging to the genus Lyssavirus in the family Rhabdoviridae. The virus has the potential to infect all warm‐blooded animals, with primary reservoirs including dogs, wild carnivores (such as foxes, jackals, hyenas, and skunks), and bats. These reservoirs pose a significant public health risk, particularly in regions where human–animal interactions are frequent. The Somali Region in Ethiopia is predominantly home to pastoral and agropastoral communities, which inhabit vast swathes of land with diverse wildlife populations. The coexistence of these communities, domestic animals, and wildlife presents a unique environmental challenge that requires careful management. In times of drought, pastoralists may be compelled to migrate to remote and isolated habitats in search of grazing lands, resulting in heightened interaction between livestock and wildlife. The major causes of rabies outbreaks in the Somali Region include increased interaction between wildlife and livestock in remote pastoral settings without adequate control measures, such as lack of mass vaccination for at‐risk dogs, low dog ownership rates, poor animal health infrastructure, limited diagnostic capacity, and weak surveillance systems. Comprehensive response of one‐health approach is necessary to prevent and control rabies outbreaks in the Somali Region. These include increasing vaccination coverage for at‐risk dogs, improving the animal health infrastructure, enhancing surveillance systems, increasing awareness and education, and strengthening wildlife management. These measures can improve the health and well‐being of animals and humans. This review aims to highlight the major causes of rabies outbreaks and the need to implement a one‐health approach in the Somali Region.