Foxes and Dogs in Tehran: Which Is More Dangerous? / University Professor: Why Should We Pay for Dog Bites? / Children at Risk of Attacks by Stray Dogs

The professor of virology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, responding to the claim that “the fox is a rabies reservoir and can be a silent carrier of the disease for years,” tells Safir Arjan: “The claim that foxes can transmit the virus for years without showing symptoms has no scientific basis. The fox is a species susceptible to rabies, and infection in it usually leads to death.”

In a conversation with Ambassador Arjan, it was mentioned:

Reacting to the claim that "the fox is a reservoir of rabies and can be a silent carrier of this disease for years," the professor of virology at Shahid Bahonar University of Veterinary Medicine in Kerman told Ambassador Arjan: "The claim that foxes can transmit the virus for years without showing any symptoms has no scientific basis. The fox is one of the species sensitive to rabies, and contracting this disease in it usually leads to death.

Elaha Jafarzadeh: The presence of foxes in the residential areas of Tehran and the warning about the possibility of rabies transmission has become a controversial issue after the statements of Payam Mohebi, a veterinarian and the founder of Tehran Veterinary Hospital. In a press conference on Sunday, October 19, Mohebi criticized the removal of dogs from urban areas and said that this action has caused foxes to enter residential areas from the suburbs. He also warned about the role of foxes in the transmission of rabies and considered these animals as reservoirs of the disease.

In the same context, Dr. Mohammad Khalili, a professor of virology at Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, in a conversation with Ambassador Arjan, emphasized the health and social risks of stray dogs, and disagrees with the argument that foxes remain without symptoms of rabies carriers for years.

He believes that the city administration should have a specific plan to collect and control the population of stray animals and not allow the presence of these animals in the public space to endanger the health and comfort of citizens.

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A pet dog is different from a stray dog

Khalili says, distinguishing owned dogs from unowned dogs: "Pets that have a specific owner receive a health certificate and undergo veterinary care, vaccination and treatment. Of course, they should also be kept in compliance with safety principles so as not to harm others."

On the other hand, he considers stray dogs to be a serious problem from the point of view of public health and adds: "From continuous barking that disturbs people's sleep and comfort to physical attacks, we are facing various problems. These dogs can transmit disease-causing agents and parasites, and their group attack also increases the risk of injury to citizens, especially children."

According to this university professor, feeding stray dogs without supervision and a control program may lead to an increase in their population; While feeding the animal is not a substitute for health care and population management.

Controversy about the role of foxes in disease transmission

"Due to its sensitive nature, the fox is not able to transmit the rabies virus at all"

One of the main points of disagreement about Mohebi's recent statements is the role of foxes in the rabies transmission cycle. Rejecting the claim that foxes can transmit the virus for years without showing any symptoms, Khalili says: "Foxes are sensitive species to rabies, and contracting this disease in them usually leads to death. "It's not like a fox can stay asymptomatic for years and spread the virus."

He continues: "An infected animal can transmit the virus through saliva before symptoms appear, but this is different from being a carrier for several years."

However, the role of foxes in rabies transmission cannot be completely ruled out. The World Health Organization lists foxes, along with some other wild animals, as hosts of the virus in the wildlife cycle. Therefore, investigating the possibility of increasing the presence of foxes in Tehran and its health consequences, requires field data and expert evaluation.

rabies; The main concern in the management of stray dogs

Referring to the risk of rabies, Khalili considers "controlling the population of stray dogs" to be one of the public health priorities. He claims that the majority of human rabies cases in Iran are related to the bites of stray dogs and the increase in the population of these animals makes it more difficult to control the disease.

He says: "Rabies is a very deadly disease after the onset of clinical symptoms, and even one death from it is significant. "A person bitten by a suspected animal should be evaluated and receive post-exposure prophylaxis as soon as possible."

According to this professor of virology, vaccination of animals, antiparasitic treatments and continuous monitoring are some of the recommended methods to control the population of stray dogs; But the implementation of such programs requires financial resources, executive facilities and continuity of activities.

Referring to the costs of preventing rabies in humans, Khalili asks why significant resources should be spent on post-bite care, when the risk of encountering stray animals can be reduced with more effective planning.

He also mentions the number of deaths due to rabies in Iran, which is about 30 people in the last year.

Gathering, handing over or reducing the population?

This university professor believes that the best solution is to collect stray dogs and transfer them to shelters. Centers where animals can be vaccinated, receive health care and, if suitable guardians are found, be released to applicants.

He says: "If it is not possible to implement these programs, a decision should be made to reduce the population of stray dogs. The priority should be to protect human health and prevent citizens from being in danger."

Referring to the American experience, Khalili states that in this country, about one and a half million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters every year.

However, statistics from the American Society for the Protection of Animals (ASPCA) from 2017 reported an annual estimate of about one and a half million pets euthanized in shelters in this country; The statistics alone do not prove that this action is done with the aim of eradicating rabies.

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Feeding the street animals, the cause of disturbing the urban balance

In another part of the interview, Khalili mentions the increase in the population of crows in Tehran and considers feeding animals as one of the factors that can affect the population of species. According to him, an unbalanced increase in the population of a species may change the ecological balance and have consequences for public health.

Finally, he emphasizes that animal management in the city should be based on a continuous program, health considerations and scientific evaluation; Not momentary decisions and emotional reactions.

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Observation of foxes in urban areas of Tehran, this animal can be a carrier of rabies /...