Dog-Mediated Rabies
Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic viral disease affecting the central nervous system. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is nearly 100% fatal. In up to 99% of cases, domestic dogs are responsible for rabies virus transmission to humans. Yet, rabies can affect both domestic and wild animals. It can spread to people and animals via saliva, usually through bites, scratches, or direct contact with the mucosa (e.g., eyes, mouths, or open wounds). Children between the ages of 5 and 14 are frequent victims (World Health Organization, 2023).
Global Impact
Rabies is estimated to cause 59,000 human casualties annually, with 95% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia. Due to underreporting, this number is likely a gross underestimate. The burden of disease is disproportionately borne by rural and poor populations, with approximately half of the cases traceable to children under 15 years of age (World Health Organization, 2023).
The total economic burden of rabies is estimated at $8.6 billion annually—this includes medical expenses, lost income, and unmeasured emotional trauma.
Though rabies is classified as a neglected tropical disease (NTD), it continues to affect vulnerable and underserved communities the most. While effective vaccines and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) are available, they remain out of reach for many due to cost and accessibility. In 2018, the average cost of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was around $108—a significant burden for those living on $1–2 per day. Despite this, more than 29 million people receive the rabies vaccine annually after potential exposure (World Health Organization: WHO, 2024).
Rabies Beyond Dogs
In regions like the Americas, where rabies spread by dogs is largely under control, the main threat now comes from blood-feeding bats. Bat-related rabies is also emerging in parts of Australia and Western Europe.
Cases linked to other wildlife—such as foxes, raccoons, and skunks—are extremely rare, and rodent bites have never been shown to transmit the virus.
Other transmission routes, such as inhaling virus particles, eating raw meat or milk from infected animals, or receiving organs from infected donors, are extremely rare. Though human-to-human transmission is theoretically possible, it has never been confirmed (World Health Organization: WHO, 2024).
