Introduction: Wild boars (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species widely distributed across various biomes, exhibiting generalist behavior and frequently interacting with domestic animals, wildlife, and humans. Although they are not reservoirs of the rabies virus, they can serve as sentinels of viral circulation, reflecting exposure to ecosystems shared with bats and other mammals. Serological surveys are important for assessing rabies virus circulation, supporting epidemiological surveillance and contributing to prevention and control strategies.

Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) is an effective approach for controlling and eliminating terrestrial rabies in mammals and has been successfully implemented in North America and Western Europe. Most oral rabies vaccines are based on modified, live-attenuated rabies viruses. Although modern second- and third-generation vaccines are highly effective and have excellent safety profiles, some wildlife species, including raccoons and skunks, respond only to very high concentrations of certain vaccine constructs, which are not feasible under routine production conditions.

We know the numbers. We know how devastating rabies is: approximately 59,000 people die each year, nearly half of them children under 15. Human rabies occurs in more than 150 countries, with the overwhelming majority of deaths occurring in Africa and Asia. Almost all human rabies deaths result from dog-mediated transmission.

Background: Effective therapeutics for clinical rabies require animal models in which treatment can begin after virus reaches the brain, but before progression to a humane endpoint. Rapid, asynchronous disease onset in conventional mouse models makes this interval difficult to identify. We refined a bioluminescent model for preclinical therapeutic evaluation of rabies using a recombinant rabies virus expressing NanoLuc luciferase (RABV-N2c-NL).

Background: Rabies elimination requires sustained mass dog vaccination (MDV) alongside timely access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). We present linked studies examining whether alternative MDV delivery and integrated One Health strategies can improve coverage, affordability and impact.

For the use of an already licensed vaccine in a new country, the need for local clinical efficacy studies varies among countries. Many countries accept assessments from trusted regulatory authorities, and additional local studies are not required. Other countries may require a local bridging immunogenicity study. However, is the latter justified when sufficient clinical data from different countries are already available?

Feral swine are well established along the border with Mexico especially within Texas with approximately four million animals.  They have the potential of being a prey species for the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus). Vampire bats are expanding their range northwards along both the east and west coasts of Mexico with the potential to become part of the fauna of the United States of America. In Mexico, all but areas have programs to address rabies from vampire bats. Suitable habitat in the southern US has been identified as capable of hosting vampire bats.

In North America, the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) serves as an important wildlife reservoir for distinct rabies virus variants, particularly in the southwestern United States, northern Mexico, and parts of Texas. Gray fox rabies is maintained through intraspecific transmission and can spill over into other wildlife species, livestock, and domestic pets, posing ongoing challenges for disease management. Additional challenges include the spillover of non-gray fox rabies virus variants into gray fox.

Regional and global contexts influence rabies risk of local populations. In this session, we will discuss how One Health is operationalized in local public health for rabies prevention – the systems and resources required and lessons that may be adaptable and scalable for other settings.

Learning Objectives:

Background: SYN023 (zamerovimab plus mazorelvimab) is a dual-monoclonal-antibody cocktail developed for passive immunization in rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). We evaluated its performance in pediatric studies and in a high-risk real-world outbreak setting in China.