Spatial Featuring of Animal Rabies Outbreaks in Maranhão State, Brazil (from 1992 to 2022)

Abstract The aim of the current study is featuring animal rabies outbreaks in Maranhão State, Brazil, from 1992 to 2022. The official database of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (MAPA) was used for this purpose. The investigated timeframe was split into two different periods: P1, from 1992 to 2006 and P2, from 2007 to 2022. In total, 310 animal rabies outbreaks were reported in the investigated state. Cattle were the most affected animals (260 cases), followed by horses (28 cases), vampire bats (12 cases), foxes (6 cases), goats (1 case), sheep (1 case), donkeys (1 case) and swine (1 case). Ninety-six (96) of the 217 municipalities in the state of Maranhão have recorded one or more rabies outbreaks. Mangroves, flooded fields and areas close to the Equatorial Forest were the most affected ones. The lowest rabies outbreak frequencies were observed in restinga and drier climate areas. In total, 78.8 % (n=41) of municipalities had a recurrence at intervals ranging from 2 to 8 years. Thus, it was possible to conclude that rabies is a recurring problem and that environmental areas have endemic outbreaks of the disease.