**6. Rabies in goats**

### **6.1 Epidemiology**

In Ethiopia, of 48 animal deaths of rabies, 12 were goats which were the second more affected animal species [25]. In Sudan, a review on rabies showed that goats

were the most rabies-affected species after dogs, as clear from previous reports [17, 18, 61, 62]. In Kenya, the third most rabies-affected species were sheep and goats [26]. The same situation was reported in Morocco [27] and Namibia [50]. In South Africa, rabies-diagnosed cases in goats were the third-highest figures after dogs and cattle [51]. The same situation was reported in Uganda during 2011–2013 [16].

Reported dog bite in goats was higher than in cattle in Bangladesh [3]. The reported prevalence of rabies in goats in India was 48.7% [47]. Sheep and goats showed the third-highest positivity reported for rabies diagnosis in Oman [63]. In Saudi Arabia during 2010–2017, confirmed rabies cases in goats were the third-highest number following dogs and camels [15]. In Sri Lanka, goats were the third most species that clinically rabies diagnosed during 2005–2014 [6]. In Nepal, goats were the fourth most affected species [48]. However, Uddin et al. (2015) reported that goats showed a low level of rabies prevalence (0.5%) in Bangladesh.

Compared to other species, a low number of cases were reported in goats in United States, Canada, and Mexico [53]. A very few rabies cases in goats in Ukraine were reported during 2012–2016 [37]. Rabies virus neutralizing antibodies were detected in 5% of goats in areas of vampire bats in Peru, seropositive animals remained healthy for further two years suggesting abortive rabies infection [55].
