Introduction History of rabies control by vaccination

Since antiquity, rabies has remained one of the deadliest infectious diseases known to humankind, with a case fatality rate approaching 100% following the onset of clinical disease. It is present on all continents where terrestrial mammals exist, with the majority of animal and human cases being reported in the resourcelimited countries of Africa and Asia, with thousands of human rabies deaths being recorded annually. It is likely, however, that the global figure of approximately 59,000 annual human rabies fatalities is an underestimate. The impact of the disease has been reduced substantially across vast regions of the globe since the development of effective rabies vaccines. The success of different vaccines and vaccination policies in the defined 'at risk' populations has been born out of scientific innovation. Mass vaccination campaigns of animals, using parenteral vaccines to immunise companion animals, and advances in oral vaccines for wildlife, have allowed the elimination of rabies in terrestrial carnivores in several regions worldwide, including Western Europe and much of North America. In addition, human vaccines, largely used for post-exposure treatments, have reduced the burden of rabies in endemic areas.