RABIES IN THE MASAI-MARA, KENYA - PRELIMINARY-REPORT

A serosurvey of rabies antibodies among domestic dogs (Canis familiari s, n = 178), spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta, n = 72) and African wil d dogs (Lycaon pictus, n = 18) of the Masai Mara, Kenya, was carried o ut. Rabies antibodies were found in 9,6 % of the domestic dog sera, bu t all wild dog and hyaena sera were negative. Rabies has been confirme d in this region among the above species as well as in a domestic cat (Felis catus) and a cow (Bos indicus) by fluorescent antibody tests (F AT) and/or histopathology. The disease was confirmed in three wild dog s in 1989 and in a fourth dog in early 1991. In 1992, a spotted hyaena attacked six people, one of whom died; the hyaena brain was positive for rabies. To date, rabies has been confirmed in one domestic cow (n = 22; 4,5 %), one domestic cat (n = 9; 11,1 %) and five domestic dogs (n = 32; 15,6 %). The wild dog cases exhibited paralytic rabies wherea s in the hyaena, domestic cat and domestic dogs furious rabies was obs erved. The dynamics of rabies in this ecosystem is not yet fully under stood, but based on these preliminary data it is suspected that domest ic dogs play a primary role in its maintenance.