Characteristics of the spread of a wildlife rabies epidemic in Europe.

The control of rabies in wildlife by reducing the fox population has led in Europe to inconsistent results, since little was known of the dynamics of the fox population and the interaction between rabies epidemics, host populations, and control measures. As part of the WHO/FAO Coordinated Research Programme on Wildlife Rabies in Europe, data on epidemics and persisting reservoirs of the disease were processed by computer. The results led to a better understanding of the mechanism of spread of the epidemic and to proposals for the improvement of rabies control in animals and the protection of man.