99% of rabies cases are dog-mediated and the burden of disease is disproportionally borne by rural poor populations, with approximately half of cases attributable to children under 15 years of age (World Health Organization: WHO, 2019).

Rabies is present on all continents except Antarctica. Globally there are an estimated 59,000 deaths from rabies annually; however, due to underreporting, documented case numbers often differ from the estimate (World Health Organization: WHO, 2024b).

In the Americas, where dog-mediated rabies is mostly controlled, hematophagous (blood-feeding) bats are now the primary source of human rabies. Bat-mediated rabies is also an emerging public health threat in Australia and parts of Western Europe.

Human deaths following exposure to foxes, raccoons, skunks, and other wild mammals are very rare, and bites from rodents are not known to transmit rabies (World Health Organization: WHO, 2024b).

Human-to-human transmission through bites or saliva is theoretically possible but has never been confirmed (World Health Organization: WHO, 2024b).

Rabies is a major burden in Asia, with an estimated 35,172 human deaths per year. India accounts for 59.9% of rabies deaths in Asia and 35% of deaths globally. The cost of Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) is highest in Asia, with estimates up to US$ 1.5 billion per year (Epidemiology and Burden, n.d.).

An estimated 21,476 human deaths occur each year in Africa due to dog-mediated rabies. Africa is estimated to spend the least on PEP and have the highest cost of human mortality (Epidemiology and Burden, n.d.).

There are estimated to be 1,875 human deaths in Central Asia and 229 human deaths per year in the Middle East. Limited information is available on the burden of disease in these areas (Epidemiology and Burden, n.d.).