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Sleddogs, man and Rabies

The Inuit people and the Sleddog have been strongly dependent of each other since they left Central Asia 5000 years ago to migrate eastwards over the strait of Bering through Alaska and Northern Canada and passing the strait of Nares to Greenland. In the harsh Arctic environment this symbiosis has ensured the survival of both man and dog.

Although the long duration of partnership it is not marked by affection. On the contrary it is for both parts marked by great respect - almost suspicion. The inuit always handles his dogs with great caution and avoid direct contact with the dogs whenever possible. The 6-7 m long whip enforces mans superiority.

This way of handling dogs is never questioned amongst the inuit people. The sleddogs are believed to be seriously dangerous animals. Firstly the dog teams normally consists of 10-16 dogs, the male dogs averages 30-40 kg and females 22-30 kg: 300-400 kg of carnivore has to be respected. Secondly dogs are believed to transmit all kinds of diseases to Man - perhaps well reasoned with several thousand years of experience with dogs and rabies.

The Inuit people know very well that although the polar fox may carry rabies, the direct rabies danger for Man comes from the dogs. But for the Inuit people rabies has also been a very serious dog disease which could inflict heavy losses in the sleddog population, and in that way threaten the lives of the Inuit people. By cultural experience they know that "mad foxes" transmit "the dog disease" to their sleddogs, and that dogteams which have been in contact with a mad fox invariably will die within short time afterwards.

The Inuit people are very practical in the way of life and do not philosophize over the difference between dying of rabies or dying of hunger. So by tradition a dogteam which has been in contact with a mad fox is immediately put down and the carcasses dumped into the Sea.

Today the Greenland Home Rule pays all costs regarding prevention of infectious dog diseases and zoonosises. All puppies are supposed to be vaccinated in the age of 4-6 month with a combination vaccine containing rabies, distemper, parvovirus and HCC antigenes. Revaccination is mandatory for each dog every third year. In this way both human and sleddog populations gets protection.

The population dynamics of the sleddog population were revised in 1999, and conse-quently the criterion for vaccination success was raised from 33 % to 58 % vaccinations of the total sleddog population each year. Another criterion for sufficient protection against rabies is that at least 70 % of the total Sleddog population must be vaccinated within the last two years.