Mass Dog Vaccinations Successful at Eliminating Rabies
Canine rabies has been controlled or eliminated throughout most of the developed world, but in developing countries it remains a major public health concern killing 69,000 people a year.
The First Rabies Vaccine
Virtually all rabies infections were fatal until Louis Pasteur and Emile Roux developed the first rabies vaccine in 1885. Although rabies isn’t a public health concern in the developed world anymore it continues to plague those in developing countries.
Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. – Louis Pasteur
Do you think Pasteur would be surprised to know that the disease is still so prevalent? Over 100 years since the first vaccine was developed and rabies still remains a public health concern throughout much of the developing world, killing over 69,000 people a year.
Rabies in the United States
In 2013 there was one case of human rabies in the United States. The individual became infected after being bitten by a bat in Guatemala. Rabies doesn’t cause a public health concern here because we’ve been vaccinating the majority of our dogs for years.
Rabies is a preventable viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain in humans and other warm blooded species. It’s usually transmitted to humans via saliva following a bite from an infected animal.
Since the 1900s, the number of deaths from rabies in North America has fallen from 100 or more each year to just one or two cases. Much of the decline dates from the 1940s, when vaccination and animal control programmes were set up. – Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
Rabies Kills 69,000 People a Year
Even though the rabies vaccine has been available for years it remains a major health concern in developing countries. More than 69,000 people die from the rabies virus annually, more than half of them being children in Africa and Asia.
99% of human rabies cases in developing countries are caused by bites from dogs infected with the virus.
The Importance of Mass Dog Vaccinations
Domestic dogs are the main source of rabies infections in Africa and Asia. The best protection people can get from rabies is by vaccinating the animals in their community. An international team of veterinarians recently released a statement claiming that worldwide elimination of rabies is feasible through mass dog vaccinations.
Mass dog vaccinations make sense economically, it’s much cheaper to vaccinate dogs compared to humans. Even though the worldwide estimate of stray dogs is 375 million experts believe mass vaccinations are logically feasible.
The Bohol Project
The Bohol project was initiated in 2007 to eliminate rabies in the Philippines. The program costs $2.5 million annually, but the cost savings from preventing deaths and illnesses will be repaid in 4-10 years. Their goal is to eliminate rabies by 2020.
Since Bohol started there has been only one human rabies death in the Philippines reported since 2008.
Funding was secured from the national government, provincial, municipal and village units, dog owners, NGOs, the regional office of the WHO, the UBS Optimus Foundation, and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control. – National Center for Biotechnology Information
A GARC collar shows that this puppy has received his rabies vaccination.
Vaccinating 70% of Dogs Is Key to Eradicating Rabies
Experts say that vaccinating 70% of the world’s dog population is the key to eradicating rabies. The mass canine vaccination strategy has been shown to work in Tanzania, Estonia, the Philippines, and in programs across South and Central Americas.
To stop rabies in people, health workers around the globe need to vaccinate about 70 percent of the world’s dog population, the team estimated. The risk of human cases drops close to zero with that many dogs protected. – NPR
Worldwide Eradication of Rabies is Feasible With Mass Dog Vaccinations
Compared to other diseases affecting those in the developing world eliminating rabies can be done relatively quick and cheaply.
Since World Rabies Day was started on September 28 2007 there has been growing support for programs aiming to eliminate the virus worldwide. Since 2007 4.6 million animals have been vaccinated, and over 150 million people have been educated about the risks of rabies. A vast community of global networks and vaccination programs have been launched.
If we eliminate rabies we’ll not only be saving money in medical costs, we’ll be saving many human lives. The first rabies vaccine was developed over 100 years ago and it still hasn’t reached many in the developing world.
Eliminating rabies worldwide is feasible. You can help by spreading the word about the amazing progress we’ve made over the past few decades. With enough support and encouragement we can see an end to rabies in our lifetime.
Global freedom from the threat of dog-mediated rabies is feasible within our lifetime. With the tools, vaccine and evidence available, an integrated investment strategy and intersectoral approach is needed to make this vision a reality. – World Health Organization
Additional Resources
- World Health Organization – Control & Elimination Strategies
- Live Science – Mass Dog Vaccination Could Eliminate Rabies Globally
- Global Alliance for Rabies Control
- IDP Journal – Towards a Science of Rabies Elimination
- Scientific American – Experts Urge Mass Dog Vaccination to Eradicate Rabies
- USDA – Potential Economic Benefits of Eliminating Canine Rabies
- CDC – Rabies: A Neglected, Re-emerging Zoonosis
Rabies is something that we don’t think a lot about now. We just vaccinate on schedule and thats it. As a child, my Mom grew up on a farm and they encountered rabid raccoons several times. Its so important to vaccinate.
So true, I was so surprised when I found out so many people (and dogs) were dying from the virus each year.
Eradication of rabies would be a great thing! Such a scary disease. We never dare to be late with the boosters. Though I’m hoping that the Rabies Challenge might eventually allow for boosters less frequently.
It would be so great; it’s just crazy to think that the vaccine has been around for well over 100 years and it’s pretty cheap yet we still have such a problem with it worldwide. Hopefully we’ll get to see it’s eradication in our lifetime.
Two of my kids had to undergo the rabies series (due to a bat encounter, not dog) and it was very painful for them. It was probably unnecessary, but the pediatrician was adamant that it be done. We have also had a probably rabid skunk and fox in our yard so we take the threat of rabies very seriously here. I’m glad that they are making rabies vaccines more accessible in other parts of the world!
It’s such a scary disease, I’m sorry your kids had to go through the treatment. Like you say it might have been unnecessary but it’s not a risk I’d be willing to take.
Rabies can be very scary. I had a rabid skunk outside my house in New Jersey. Animal control had to come and deal with the poor animal.
Great post and reminder that this is something we can have control over! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on eradicating rabies!
We do take our safety for granted. I’m glad to hear of these projects for areas at risk.
I had NO IDEA there were still so many human deaths throughout the world! I have had a book about the history of rabies on my ‘To Read’ list for a while now, and this post has inspired me to move it to the top!
It’s just so disheartening to me that although the first vaccine was developed over 100 years ago so many people are still plagues by this disease. It’s definitely something that can be done in our lifetimes, and when compared with eliminating other public health threats this one is fairly simple and cheap to eradicate.
It would be amazing to see rabies eradicated. Being a military family I am CRAZY with keeping on top of my pups’ vaccinations. If we were to get stationed in Hawaii (which is rabies free), having consistently up to date vaccines is essential to a smooth transition.
I’d love to see it eradicated as well. I never thought about what it would be like to be part of a military family as it relates to dog ownership – you bring up a really good point.
Wow a lot of that was new to me! Thank you for sharing. I’ve always known that rabies was not a good thing, but didn’t know much about the details. Glad we stay on top of our vaccines!
Great history & facts about rabies. I’m not surprised it’s such a problem in developing countries, they still have so many gaps in human healthcare. Rabies is so easy to prevent, it’s so sad that people still get infected in developing countries. I wonder if they’d be able to keep up w/ vaccinating enough of the dogs, because I’m guessing they don’t spay/neuter very much either.
Rabies is something that we don’t think about in our big cities but out here in the country it is a problem. Not in the dog or cat population but in the Wild Animals. At least once a year there is a report of an animal found with Rabies. It makes me really nervous because I would like to start tittering instead of vaccinating (Davinia and Indiana are 10 and 9 years old) as I don’t feel that vaccinating them on a yearly basis is safe for their overall health at this point. Yes, here is Georgia yearly vaccinations are the law even though we know the same vaccination is good for at least 3 years if not 7.
Interesting information. I think people forget how it was even when I was a kid and there was still a case now and again of rabies in dogs. Even though rabies is largely eradicated in the US, it is still important to vaccinate as the new measles outbreak illustrates.
Very informative. I have this discussion with my friends a lot about Parvo. While not dangerous to humans, I feel it is another canine disease that could be better controlled with more of the population vaccinating.
Rabies has always scared me, I can’t imagine ever having it or one of my pets having it 🙁
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Thanks for this reminder and the info on the worldwide efforts.
This post made me appreciate how lucky I am to live in a place where rabies is literally almost no concern for me. Yet, it is such a serious and scary disease. I am definitely all in favor of doing all we can to vaccinate dogs in developing countries. I did not know it was killing this many people around the world (and dogs too).
Very interesting article and the success rate from the Bohol project is encouraging. Luckily, it sounds like we’re very close to eradicating this disease. Great information!
These types of projects are amazing! Not only does it help prevent disease, but it can lead to the people being more comfortable around dogs, and ultimately saving those dog’s lives because people don’t view then as a threat any longer.
It really sounds like rabies is something that is a bigger problem that it seems. I personally am glad to hear that these vaccinations are able to ensure that our pets are safe. Hopefully this will be something that ends up eradicating rabies as a whole. Thank you for sharing.
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