Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41894416›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2026

Delivery of canine rabies vaccination programme in Kutupalong-Balukhali refugee camps, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

Luke Gamble, Karlette A Fernandes, Keiichiro Tazawa, Rubaiya Ahmad, Kamrul Islam, James Hood, Bernadette Abela, Balaji Chandrashekar, Frederic Lohr, Ryan M Wallace and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Luke GambleWorldwide Veterinary Service, Cranborne, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3095-5935
Karlette A FernandesWorldwide Veterinary Service, Cranborne, United Kingdom.
Keiichiro TazawaWorldwide Veterinary Service, Cranborne, United Kingdom.
Rubaiya AhmadObhoyaronno Animal Welfare Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Kamrul IslamDirectorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
James HoodWorldwide Veterinary Service, Cranborne, United Kingdom.
Bernadette AbelaDepartment of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Balaji ChandrashekarWorldwide Veterinary Service, Cranborne, United Kingdom.
Frederic LohrWorldwide Veterinary Service, Cranborne, United Kingdom.
Ryan M WallacePoxvirus and Rabies Branch, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GeorgiaUnited States of America.
Tim ParkinBristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, United Kingdom.
Andrew D GibsonWorldwide Veterinary Service, Cranborne, United Kingdom.
Catherine SwedbergWorldwide Veterinary Service, Cranborne, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRabies causes over 60,000 deaths annually, primarily among children, with dog bites responsible for nearly all human cases. Although mass dog vaccination is effective in low-resource settings, structured campaigns have rarely been implemented in refugee camps, where unmanaged dog populations and limited access to post-exposure prophylaxis heighten rabies risk. This study aimed to demonstrate the possibility of delivering systematic mass dog vaccination within a short operational timeframe in a humanitarian setting and to assess community perceptions of rabies risk and prevention. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL

findingsIn May 2025, a four-day mass dog vaccination campaign was conducted across the Kutupalong-Balukhali refugee settlement in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, with real-time data collection to guide operations. Post-vaccination dog sight surveys assessed operational coverage, while community surveys evaluated knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding rabies. Of the 2,275 dogs encountered, 1,781 (78.3%) were vaccinated, with 86.4% classified as unowned community dogs. The overall proportion of marked dogs across all surveyed zones was 71.5% (95% CI: 66.8-75.9%). In the community survey, 34.6% of 1,311 adult respondents (gender-adjusted) had heard of rabies, and 41.2% correctly identified dog bites as the primary route of transmission. Regarding appropriate post-bite care, 25.9% knew to both wash the wound and seek medical care. Approximately 8.7% of households experienced a dog bite in the preceding year, corresponding to a minimum annual incidence of 13.3 bites per 1,000 persons, equating to over 15,000 bites per year. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study represents the first structured mass dog vaccination campaign in a refugee setting, demonstrating that rabies control can be effectively implemented even in complex humanitarian contexts. The campaign's success offers a replicable model for integrating zoonotic disease prevention into emergency health responses, underscoring the critical need to safeguard displaced populations from preventable diseases.

Indexed as

Dog DiseasesMass VaccinationRabiesRabies VaccinesRefugee CampsAdolescentAdultAnimalsBangladeshBites and StingsDogsFemaleHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansMaleMiddle AgedRabies Vaccines

Identifiers

PMID41894416
PMCPMC13046255

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.