Zero by 2030 and OneHealth: The multidisciplinary challenges of rabies control and elimination

Abstract

Rabies, caused by a negative strand RNA-virus belonging to the genus Lyssavirus (family Rhabdoviridae of the order Mononegavirales), remains of global concern. This vaccine-preventable viral zoonotic disease is present in more than 150 countries and territories. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rabies is estimated to cause ~59,000 human deaths annually, with 95% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia. However, rabies still occurs in other regions, such as Latin America and the Caribbean, Central Asia and the Middle East . Whilst a number of animals can host the rabies virus, dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans. Dog-mediated rabies has been eliminated from Western Europe, Canada, the United States of America (USA), Japan and some Latin American countries. Nevertheless, the risk of reintroduction and disease among travellers to risk areas is a matter of concern. As occurred with many other communicable and non-communicable diseases, the 2020–2022 COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the efforts of control and reemergence of rabies in certain countries. Post-pandemic challenges to enhance control and prevention are multiple and need urgent actions to achieve the goal in eight years by 2030...