Rabies Control Starts with the Dog: What Can be Changed on the Ground

Rabies is almost 100% fatal once clinical signs appear. Yet it is preventable—and that makes every missed vaccination, every unrecorded animal and every gap in surveillance worth examining. 

For veterinarians, rabies control is not limited to managing a suspected case. It begins much earlier, with preventing transmission in the animal population. 

Why dog vaccination remains the frontline intervention 

Dogs are important maintenance hosts and reservoirs for canine rabies^[2]. Interrupting transmission in dogs therefore offers one of the most effective ways to prevent transmission to other animals and humans^[2]. 

The evidence behind mass dog vaccination is compelling. Large-scale vaccination campaigns have demonstrated that achieving approximately 70% vaccination coverage in dog populations can substantially reduce rabies transmission^[2],[3]. 

But reaching that number is not simply about administering vaccines. 

Vaccination needs to be accompanied by identification, record keeping, appropriate vaccine storage and handling, follow-up and booster vaccination where required^[3]. Coverage also needs to be considered across different populations. A campaign that achieves good coverage in an urban area may still leave significant gaps in rural or free-ranging dog populations^[2]. 

For veterinarians, this makes accurate vaccination records and population-level monitoring just as important as the vaccination itself. 

Vaccinate—but don't stop there 

Rabies control becomes more difficult when vaccination is treated as an isolated intervention. 

Dog population management, responsible ownership, sterilization programmes, shelters and adoption initiatives can complement vaccination efforts^[2]. In areas with large free-ranging dog populations, Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (CNVR) and waste management can also form part of a broader risk-reduction strategy^[3]. 

Why does waste management matter? 

Because the environment can influence dog population dynamics and dog-human interactions. Areas with large accumulations of food waste can become confrontation zones where dogs congregate and compete for resources^[3]. 

In other words, rabies prevention is not only about the vaccine syringe. It is also about understanding the environment in which dogs live. 

Don't overlook cats and wildlife 

Canine rabies remains central to elimination strategies, but veterinarians should not assume that every rabies concern begins and ends with dogs. 

The 2025 review describing the “Baiyun Model” reported a suspected human rabies case associated with a cat, highlighting how surveillance gaps and low vaccination coverage in other animal populations can create overlooked risks^[2]. 

Rabies also operates through interconnected urban and sylvatic transmission cycles involving domestic and wild animals^[1],[2]. 

This makes veterinary surveillance particularly important. Dogs, cats and relevant wildlife populations need to be considered when investigating possible transmission and assessing local risk. 

The veterinarian's role is bigger than vaccination 

A veterinarian may be the first professional to notice a pattern: repeated unvaccinated animals from a particular area, increasing stray-dog encounters, unusual neurological cases or an animal linked to a suspected human exposure. 

Each of these observations can become valuable surveillance information. 

Systematic collection of data on dog populations, suspected and confirmed cases, vaccination status and human-animal population patterns can help authorities understand the local burden and plan control strategies^[3]. 

That is where veterinary practice connects directly with public health. 

The takeaway 

Rabies elimination will not be achieved by treating individual exposures alone. It requires high vaccination coverage, effective dog population management, reliable records and continuous surveillance. 

For veterinarians, the opportunity is significant: every vaccination recorded, every suspected case reported and every local transmission pattern recognized contributes to breaking the chain of rabies transmission. 

And ultimately, that is how a preventable disease moves closer to elimination.

References:

1. Acharya KP, Acharya N, Phuyal S, Upadhyaya M, Lasee S. One-health approach: A best possible way to control rabies. One Health. 2020 Dec 1;10:100161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2020.100161
2. Zha R, Lu J, Chen J, Guo C, Lu J. Exploring one health-based strategies for rabies elimination: Overview and future prospects. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2025 Jun 18;19(6):e0013159. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013159
3. Acharya KP, Subedi D, Wilson RT. Rabies control in South Asia requires a One Health approach. One health. 2021 Jun 1;12:100215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100215