Separate from the identified rabies reservoirs are several additional taxonomic groups capable of carrying and transmitting rabies virus infections to people and domestic animals. These incidents represent an opportunity to learn more about RABV epidemiology in the sylvatic system. Transmission of host adapted strains from the reservoir species to other carnivores also represents a potential risk for the emergence of new RABV strains and the establishment of new reservoirs.

Rabies!

The United Against Rabies Forum continues to strengthen global efforts towards Zero by 30 by expanding the practical tools, technical resources and partnerships available to countries working to eliminate dog-mediated rabies. Recent developments include continued monitoring of progress through the Global Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, new guidance on dog population estimation and investment case development, and enhanced initiatives that support countries in applying existing resources.

The Defense Food Analysis and Diagnostic Laboratory (FADL) has a rich 80-year history of providing trusted expertise and technical knowledge to support critical missions within the Department of War. The FADL is comprised of six sections: Cholinesterase Reference Laboratory, Chemistry, Microbiology, Diagnostic, Field Technical Services, and Quality Assurance.

Objectives: To describe a clinically suspected case of paralytic rabies in Haiti and highlight barriers to timely access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

Methods: Clinical information was obtained through interviews with the patient and relatives, review of medical records, and an epidemiological investigation. Exposure history, clinical management, neurological progression, and diagnostic assessment were documented.

Free-roaming dogs (FRDs) pose a persistent challenge to canine rabies elimination in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), primarily because current parenteral vaccination methods are difficult to deliver effectively to this population, contributing to sustained virus transmission, environmental contamination, and public health challenges. We conducted cross-sectional surveys involving 4,161 dog-owning households in Nigeria and 2,558 in Sierra Leone. Country-specific regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with allowing owned dogs to roam freely.

Introduction: Wild boars (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species widely distributed across different biomes, exhibiting generalist behavior and frequent contact with domestic animals, wildlife, and humans. Although they are not reservoirs of the rabies virus, they can reflect exposure to rabies virus circulation in 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.

Background: Mass dog vaccination (MDV) prevents human rabies but remains underused in sub-Saharan Africa. The conventional annual centralised pulse campaigns require high coverage to maintain herd immunity, yet costs rise sharply as coverage increases while immunity declines rapidly between campaigns due to dog population turnover. We tested whether a community-led decentralised hybrid strategy using thermotolerant vaccines could reduce costs and sustain coverage above the 40% herd immunity threshold.

Rabies (RABV) is a neglected tropical disease responsible for ~59,000 global human deaths annually, 99% of these being due to dog bites. Efforts to control RABV in the dog population have been unsuccessful due to insufficient dog vaccinations and animal population control. The current RABV vaccine is 100% effective at preventing RABV deaths when administered correctly, but the average cost of human RABV pre & post-exposure vaccines is currently ~$108, which precludes its widespread use in low-income RABV endemic countries.

The province of Ontario, Canada, experienced a major epizootic of rabies due to the Arctic fox virus variant (AFVV) beginning in northern Ontario in 1954. The disease quickly spread south in red fox (Vulpes vulpes) populations and by 1958 was firmly established across southern Ontario. Between 1958 and the start of wildlife rabies control efforts in 1989, Ontario reported 49,125 AFVV rabies cases, averaging 1535 per year.