Dear Colleagues, 

Rabies, a viral zoonotic disease, is a 100% vaccine-preventable disease. Approximately 99% of rabies infections are acquired by the bite of an infected dog. Africa and Asia contribute to over 99% of human rabies deaths that occur in the world, and the vast majority (about 60%) of these are in Asia, with dogs being the major vectors in the transmission of rabies. The burden of rabies is primarily on human health and, of late, on livestock as well. The disease control must be focused on the animal source. In view of this, dog-mediated human rabies can be eliminated by tackling the disease at its source: “the infected dogs”.

Considering the seriousness of the disease and its endemicity, especially in the African and Asian continents, the Tripartite Alliance which includes the FAO, OIE, and WHO under the “United Against Rabies” (UAR) initiative, along with the GARC, has launched “Zero by 30: the global strategic plan to end human deaths from dog mediated rabies by 2030”. This goal can be achieved by focusing on areas such as human pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis, mass dog vaccination, surveillance and monitoring, laboratory diagnostic capability, capacity building, network development, coordination between rabies diagnostic and serology laboratories, identification of knowledge gaps, public awareness, risk communication, and legislation. 

Dog-mediated rabies can be eliminated through mass vaccination of the dog population, as advocated by the UAR. In this regard, many countries in which dog rabies is endemic are exploring strategies to access dogs for vaccination, the structure of campaigns including the human effort, and approaches for the mobilization of resources.

In this Special Issue, articles covering the implementation, strategies, outcomes, impacts, hurdles, and experiences of anti-rabies (pre- and post-)vaccination programs in both human and animal sectors globally are invited. Furthermore, this Special Issue may review the processes that support the scale-up of intervention strategies, put forth the views on pragmatic considerations with special reference to the duration of campaigns and the size of the work force, and finally provide examples of hypothetical resource requirements for implementing successful mass dog vaccination.

Dr. Shrikrishna Isloor
Guest Editor

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