Optimizing dog population control strategies in Thailand using mathematical and economic modeling
1
Issued Date
2025-07-01
Resource Type
eISSN
19352735
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105010547416
Pubmed ID
40608736
Journal Title
Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases
Volume
19
Issue
7
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases Vol.19 No.7 (2025) , e0013202
Suggested Citation
Thichumpa W., Wiratsudakul A., Lawpoolsri S., Limpanont Y., Thanapongtharm W., Smith L.M., Maneewong S., Pan-Ngum W. Optimizing dog population control strategies in Thailand using mathematical and economic modeling. Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases Vol.19 No.7 (2025) , e0013202. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0013202 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/111348
Title
Optimizing dog population control strategies in Thailand using mathematical and economic modeling
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
A mathematical model was constructed to investigate dog population dynamics and explore the impact of population management and rabies prevention. We aimed to evaluate cost-effective sterilization and vaccination strategies for dog population control and rabies prevention in Thailand. The developed compartmental model was calibrated with dog population data from Lopburi province (between 2019 and 2022) and simulated five sterilization scenarios. These measures included a combined 80% coverage of the rabies vaccine and 20% coverage of a sterilization program among non-specific dog types. Our findings indicated that sterilization programs targeting female indoor, outdoor, and stray dogs may prove to be the most effective in reducing the total dog population above 50% over a five-year period, surpassing the efficacy of the current intervention. Furthermore, the cost-effectiveness analysis showed that the two female dog sterilization strategies were cost-saving compared to the current practice, as the total costs of sterilization and vaccination decreased over time due to the reduction in the dog population. In conclusion, targeting female dog sterilization could reduce the population and was cost-saving compared to current strategies. Further data to inform dog population demographic and available resources including manpower, rabies vaccine, sterilization toolkits, and related materials will be required to fully explore intervention accessibility and feasibility within the context of rabies prevention and control in Thailand.