HISTORY AND EPIZOOTIOLOGY OF RABIES

History and epizootiological forms (urbanic, sylvatic and bat) have be en summarized. In the development of a rabies epizootic, the ecology o f wildlife living on the given territory plays also an important part. Importance of immigration (seasonal moving of individuals during the breeding season, in case of the lack of foodstuff, etc.) and successio n (of animal species on the same territory, mainly due to the influenc es of the activities of men on the ecosystem) has also been highlighte d. In Europe, 21 044 rabies cases were recorded in 1990. Of them 61% w ere fox', 9.65% cattle, 6.1% dog, 5.6% cat, 4.1% sheep/goat, 2% deer, 1.3% badger, 0.5% horse cases (Table 1). In Hungary, only the urbanic rabies was present at the beginning of that century. By the end of thi rties, as a result of the introduction of the rules for dog keeping an d the obligatory immunization of dogs, Hungary (for the first time in the world) became free of urbanic rabies (Figure 1). Nowadays more tha n 1.5 million dogs are vaccinated against rabies in a year (Figure 2). Immunization of cats is not obligatory but it is advisable. Rabies ca ses of dogs and cats recorded between 1990 and 1993 are shown in Figs 3 and 4. Stray cats (their number is estimated to approx. 100 000, Tab le 2) breed without control in the neighborhood of men. Sylvatic rabie s appeared in Poland in 1939 and spread Southern and South-Western dir ection with a speed of 30 to 50 km per year. The main reservoir is red fox. The sylvatic rabies was introduced in Hungary in 1954 (Figure 5) and the whole country had become infected by the end of 1971. The tre nd of epizootic shows a direct correlation with the size of fox popula tion. At first, conventional methods (gassing of fox burrows by phosge ne candles) were used to reduce the number of foxes. These methods pro ved to be unsuccessful, as all over the world. (Size of the fox Popula tion is determined by the supporter conditions of a given territory.) Thus, the reduction of fox population was suspended in Hungary in 1987 . The pick of the yearly epidemic curve falls on the first three month s of the year owing to the mating period. The bottom of the curve fall s on the summer season while it increases again in autumn. owing to th e scattering of growing foxes (Figs 6 and 7). The infection of domesti c animals is always connected to the epizootics in wildlife. In Hungar y all the domestic and farm animal rabies cases can be traced back to a rabid fox contact. Fox shows a territorial behaviour, however the hu nting areas often dover each other. Defense of the own hunting area (w hich is characteristic only for males) may lead to fighting (biting). Their individual territory is 15 to 35 km(2). Young foxes search for n ew living space from September-October because they become food-concur rent of their parents and partners. They wander 8 to 25 km, on an aver age. Rabies is also present in smaller fox populations, however an epi demic does not develop. In densely populated areas it should be reckon with the urbanization of foxes (rubbish-shoots, refuse bins). In Hung ary, the number of diagnosed rabies cases per year is around thousand. Of them, the ratio of foxes is the highest, however the number of fox cases decreases gradually (Figs 8 to 14). Figs 15 and 16 show the num ber of diagnosed rabies cases according to counties in Hungary, in the first, second and third quarters, as well as in October, 1994. Withou t any adequate basic Immunity, as well as postexpositional, serial vac cination, 20% of the infected men develop rabies.