An epidemic of canine rabies in Central Java, Indonesia

An epidemic of rabies in the province of Central Java, Indonesia, in 1985–1986 was investigated. Eighty-nine percent of confirmed cases occurred in dogs, 70% of which were domestically owned. While the number of cases clearly exceeded that normally expected and thus constituted an epidemic, the actual risk of human exposure to a rabid animal bite during the peak epidemic period was only 1.5 per million for females and 3.4 per million for males. Males between the ages of 5 and 14 years were the group at greatest risk of being exposed to the bite of a rabid dog. In the most seriously affected district, the risk of a dog contracting rabies was estimated to be 105 per 100 000 during the epidemic period. No cases were reported in wildlife. The results of the investigation suggest methods by which rabies could be eradicated from Java.