Economic Evaluation of Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus) Rabies Prevention in Mexico

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Publication Date

September 2012

Abstract

Vampire bat rabies causes significant impacts within its endemic range in Mexico. These impacts include livestock mortality, animal testing costs, post‐exposure prophylaxis costs, and human mortality risk. Mitigation of the impacts can be achieved by vaccinating livestock and controlling vampire bat populations. A benefit‐cost analysis was performed to examine the economic efficiency of these methods of mitigation, and Monte Carlo simulations were used to examine the impact that uncertainty has on the analysis. We found that livestock vaccination is efficient, with benefits being over six times higher than costs. However, bat control is inefficient because benefits are very unlikely to exceed costs. It is concluded that when these mitigation methods are judged by the metric of economic efficiency, livestock vaccination is desirable but bat control is not.

Keywords

Benefit‐Cost Analysis, Cattle, Economics, Mexico, Rabies, Vampire Bat (Desmodus Rotundus)

Document Type

Article

Notes

Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, Vol. 61, no. 2 (2012-09-18).

Identifier

SFS0055693_00001

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