The dissertation presents the results of retrospective, spatio-temporal, spatialcluster analyzes and modeling of rabies spread, as well as epidemiological and economic aspects of rabies, which allowed to establish the features of the epizootic process of rabies spread in Ukraine for 70 years. The first experimental data on the vector orientation of epizootics, areas with rabies “hot spots”, identification of zones with statistically significant disease clusters, modeling of rabies spread dynamics were obtained. Retrospective analysis revealed that during 1950-2020 in Ukraine there were 3 significant peaks of rabies with intervals of 28 years: 1) in 1951 (3724 cases), 2) in 1979 (1594 cases) and 3) in 2007 (2932 cases). During the first peak of the urban rabies epizootic in 1951, the entire territory of Ukraine was unfavorable for rabies. However, high tensions in the epizootic situation were observed in the eastern (Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk) and central (Vinnytsia) regions of Ukraine. During the 2-nd peak of the outbreak of rabies in 1979 in the eastern part of the country all regions (especially Donetsk, Kharkiv and Poltava) had a high intensity of the epizootic situation of rabies, while in the western part, an increased number of cases was observed only in Khmelnytsky region. Also, high tensions were observed in the north - in Chernihiv and Zhytomyr regions and in the south - in Odessa region. Low tensions in the epizootic
situation of rabies were recorded in the western regions near the border with Poland. During the 3-rd peak in 2007, rabies was more common in the eastern and southeastern regions, especially in Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. In addition, a pronounced manifestation of rabies was observed in the north (Chernihiv, Zhytomyr region) and in western Ukraine (Khmelnytsky region). A study of the epidemiological aspects of rabies in 2007-2019 found that more than 1 million people in Ukraine suffered from animal attacks. It was determined that the largest share of attacks on humans was from dogs (77.7%), but the largest share of attacks by rabid animals was from cats (32.9% of all rabid animals). A meta-analysis of attacks over the past 13 years has shown that out of 1,079,182 cases of treatment of 838,635 dog attacks, 6,747 were committed by rabid dogs. Therefore, the risk of rabies infection from dogs was 1: 124. The risk of transmitting rabies during cat attacks was 1:25 (7 717 out of 196 128). During appeals after attacks by wild animals, a ratio of 1:7 was established, ie out of 32 894 animals that attacked, 4 397 were infected with rabies. After contact with farm animals, almost every second case revealed contact with rabid animals (risk 1: 2). For the first time, an analysis of the economic damage caused by the death of farm animals that have been attacked by wild and domestic carnivores with rabies. It is
established that during 2009-2018 animal owners received total economic losses in the amount of UAH 81 701 590, of which 98.7% belong to losses from the death of cattle due to: 1) the largest number of sick animals, 2) non-receipt of cattle except meat, as well as dairy products, 3) significant costs for the disposal of carcasses (cremation). The obtained results allow the introduction of vaccination of all livestock and small
cattle that are grazing in areas with the highest intensity of the epizootic situation against rabies.
