Raiva em raposa (<i>Cerdocyon thous</i>) em São Gonçalo do Amarante - Ceará

Rabies is a serious and fatal zoonosis that affects mammals. In Brazil, rabies control in dogs and cats has been achieved, but there has been an increase in reported cases among wild animals. In the State of Ceará, foxes and marmosets are notable transmitters of sylvatic rabies. This paper reports a case of rabies in a fox (Cerdocyon thous) in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante, CE (Brazil), and describes the actions taken to control the outbreak. The fox was attacked by domestic dogs (n=02) that had been vaccinated against rabies. After the fox's death, spinal cord samples were collected and sent for laboratory analysis. The diagnosis confirmed the presence of the rabies virus through direct immunofluorescence (DFA) and RT-qPCR. As a control measure, the dogs underwent rabies vaccination boosting. In conclusion, rapid outbreak containment (epidemiological surveillance/vaccination) prevented the transmission of rabies to other species. This case underscores the importance of active surveillance and systematic vaccination in the prevention of rabies.