Terrestrial Rabies Research Articles

Rabies and mobility: 2025 update

Switzerland has been considered free of terrestrial rabies for more than 20 years. Nevertheless, the topics of rabies and rabies vaccination are more relevant than ever. On the one hand, this is because the demand for vaccines is increasing due to the increasing mobility of humans and animals, and on the other hand, there are frequent vaccine supply shortages. Our article highlights the key points in the face of growing challenges.

Factors Involved in the Immunological Protection against Rabies Virus in Dogs in Spain.

Rabies, a viral disease spread by infected animal bites that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals, is a neglected infectious disease present on all continents except Antarctica. Spain has been free of terrestrial rabies since 1978. However, due to its geographical situation, it represents a bridge for imported cases from an endemic continent such as Africa to Europe. Rabies vaccination in dogs is an essential preventive tool against this zoonosis. The aim of this study was to determine the state of the immune response against rabies virus in dogs in Spain and to demonstrate whether several factors that have been previously related to the influence of the seroprevalence of this species are involved here. The seroconversion level of this zoonotic virus was assessed in a total of 1060 animals. Indirect ELISA was used to obtain data for statistical analysis to evaluate the studied variables. Working under the concept of One Health, this study provides relevant information to be taken into consideration not only to prevent re-emergence in countries free of this disease but also for prevention and control in endemic countries.

Home range overlap between small Indian mongooses and free roaming domestic dogs in Puerto Rico: implications for rabies management

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata) is the primary terrestrial wildlife rabies reservoir on at least four Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, mongooses represent a risk to public health, based on direct human exposure and indirectly through the transmission of rabies virus to domestic animals. To date, the fundamental ecological relationships of space use among mongooses and between mongooses and domestic animals remain poorly understood. This study is the first to report mongoose home range estimates based on GPS telemetry, as well as concurrent space use among mongooses and free roaming domestic dogs (FRDD; Canis lupus familiaris). Mean (± SE) home range estimates from 19 mongooses in this study (145 ± 21 ha and 60 ± 14 ha for males and females, respectively) were greater than those reported in prior radiotelemetry studies in Puerto Rico. At the scale of their home range, mongooses preferentially used dry forest and shrubland areas, but tended to avoid brackish water vegetation, salt marshes, barren lands and developed areas. Home ranges from five FRDDs were highly variable in size (range 13–285 ha) and may be influenced by availability of reliable anthropogenic resources. Mongooses displayed high home range overlap (general overlap index, GOI = 82%). Home range overlap among mongooses and FRDDs was intermediate (GOI = 50%) and greater than home range overlap by FRDDs (GOI = 10%). Our results provide evidence that space use by both species presents opportunities for interspecific interaction and contact and suggests that human provisioning of dogs may play a role in limiting interactions between stray dogs and mongooses.

Postexposure prophylaxis after bite of abroad-winged bat with evidence of European bat lyssavirus1 (EBLV-1)

Germany has been considered free of terrestrial rabies since 2008 as aresult of intensive vaccination and surveillance efforts but reservoirs of the lyssaviruses EBLV‑1 and EBLV‑2 persist in bat colonies and thus pose apotential risk of infection. We report on apatient who suffered abat bite in an urban setting in which European bat lyssavirus1 (EBLV-1) was detected in the euthanized bat. We performed active and passive postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). This case study illustrates the ongoing risk of rabies infection due to close bat contacts in Germany and is intended to sensitize primary care physicians to take such exposure events seriously and to perform aregular PEP including administration of rabies immunoglobulin.

Defining County-Level Terrestrial Rabies Freedom Using the US National Rabies Surveillance System: Surveillance Data Analysis

Rabies is a deadly zoonotic disease with nearly 100% fatality rate. In the United States, rabies virus persists in wildlife reservoirs, with occasional spillover into humans and domestic animals. The distribution of reservoir hosts in US counties plays an important role in public health decision-making, including the recommendation of lifesaving postexposure prophylaxis upon suspected rabies exposures. Furthermore, in surveillance data, it is difficult to discern whether counties have no cases reported because rabies was not present or because counties have an unreported rabies presence. These epizootics are monitored by the National Rabies Surveillance System (NRSS), to which approximately 130 state public health, agriculture, and academic laboratories report animal rabies testing statistics. Historically, the NRSS classifies US counties as free from terrestrial rabies if, over the previous 5 years, they and any adjacent counties did not report any rabies cases and they tested ≥15 reservoir animals or 30 domestic animals. This study aimed to describe and evaluate the historical NRSS rabies-free county definition, review possibilities for improving this definition, and develop a model to achieve more precise estimates of the probability of terrestrial rabies freedom and the number of reported county-level terrestrial rabies cases. Data submitted to the NRSS by state and territorial public health departments and the US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services were analyzed to evaluate the historical rabies-free definition. A zero-inflated negative binomial model created county-level predictions of the probability of rabies freedom and the expected number of rabies cases reported. Data analyzed were from all animals submitted for laboratory diagnosis of rabies in the United States from 1995 to 2020 in skunk and raccoon reservoir territories, excluding bats and bat variants. We analyzed data from 14,642 and 30,120 county-years in the raccoon and skunk reservoir territories, respectively. Only 0.85% (9/1065) raccoon county-years and 0.79% (27/3411) skunk county-years that met the historical rabies-free criteria reported a case in the following year (99.2% negative predictive value for each), of which 2 were attributed to unreported bat variants. County-level model predictions displayed excellent discrimination for detecting zero cases and good estimates of reported cases in the following year. Counties classified as rabies free rarely (36/4476, 0.8%) detected cases in the following year. This study concludes that the historical rabies freedom definition is a reasonable approach for identifying counties that are truly free from terrestrial raccoon and skunk rabies virus transmission. Gradations of risk can be measured using the rabies prediction model presented in this study. However, even counties with a high probability of rabies freedom should maintain rabies testing capacity, as there are numerous examples of translocations of rabies-infected animals that can cause major changes in the epidemiology of rabies.

A Novel Terrestrial Rabies Virus Lineage Occurring in South America: Origin, Diversification, and Evidence of Contact between Wild and Domestic Cycles.

The rabies virus (RABV) is characterized by a history dominated by host shifts within and among bats and carnivores. One of the main outcomes of long-term RABV maintenance in dogs was the establishment of variants in a wide variety of mesocarnivores. In this study, we present the most comprehensive phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis, contributing to a better understanding of the origins, diversification, and the role of different host species in the evolution and diffusion of a dog-related variant endemic of South America. A total of 237 complete Nucleoprotein gene sequences were studied, corresponding to wild and domestic species, performing selection analyses, ancestral states reconstructions, and recombination analyses. This variant originated in Brazil and disseminated through Argentina and Paraguay, where a previously unknown lineage was found. A single host shift was identified in the phylogeny, from dog to the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) in the Northeast of Brazil. Although this process occurred in a background of purifying selection, there is evidence of adaptive evolution -or selection of sub-consensus sequences- in internal branches after the host shift. The interaction of domestic and wild cycles persisted after host switching, as revealed by spillover and putative recombination events.

A novel terrestrial Rabies virus lineage occurring in South America: origin, diversification, and evidence of contact between wild and domestic cycles.

A novel terrestrial Rabies virus lineage occurring in South America: origin, diversification, and evidence of contact between wild and domestic cycles.

Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in Germany − What are the challenges?

Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (R-PEP) including wound treatment, vaccination and application of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) is essential in preventing rabies mortality. Today, Germany is officially declared free from terrestrial rabies and rabies is only found in bats. However, physicians in A&E Departments are frequently consulted on the need for R-PEP. We retrospectively analysed patients who received R-PEP at the A&E Department of the University Hospital Bonn between 01.01.2013 and 30.06.2019. Demographic data, travel history, clinical and laboratory findings, previous rabies vaccinations and R-PEP vaccination regimen were recorded. During the study period, 90 patients received R-PEP at the University Hospital Bonn, in 10 cases without indication for R-PEP. Altogether, we found deviations from R-PEP guidelines in 51% (n = 41/80). Infiltration of RIG was missed in 12 patients and incorrectly administrated in 24 patients. Furthermore, vaccination scheme was incorrect in 11 patients. Correct wound washing and documentation of tetanus status was missing in 14% and 63% of patients, respectively. Despite rabies elimination in Germany patients frequently seek advice for R-PEP, the majority returning from foreign travel. Our data show that there is a high need for education on indication for R-PEP before and after travel and for implementation of precise R-PEP guidelines in daily clinical practice.

Circumstances of Human-Bat interactions and risk of lyssavirus transmission in metropolitan France.

Since the elimination of dog and terrestrial wild animal rabies, bat exposures remain the only source of autochthonous lyssavirus transmission to humans in Western Europe. European bats have already been found infected with several lyssaviruses, and human-bat interactions represent a risk of viral transmission and fatal encephalitis for humans. In this study, we aim to better characterize exposures to bats in metropolitan France from 2003 to 2016 and to identify circumstances associated with exposures to lyssavirus-positive bats. Two complementary sources of data were analysed: 1/ data associated with bats responsible for human exposure received for Lyssavirus testing by the French National Reference Centre for Rabies (NRCR); and 2/ data pertaining to individuals seeking medical care through the French Anti-Rabies Clinics network after contact with a bat. From 2003 to 2016, 425 bats originating from metropolitan France were submitted to the NRCR and 16 (4%) were found positive with a lyssavirus (EBLV-1b was diagnosed in 9 bats, EBLV-1a in 6 and BBLV in one specimen). The two factors associated with bat positivity in our study were the female sex and the bat belonging to the E. serotinus species. During the same study period, 1718 individuals sought care at an Anti-Rabies Clinic after exposure to a bat resulting in an estimated incidence of human-bat interactions of 1.96 per 106 person-years. The two most frequent circumstances of exposure were handling or bites. Interactions mostly involved one adult human being and one live and non-sick-looking bat. Our study provides new insights about circumstances of human-bat interactions and may be helpful to target prevention interventions to improve the awareness of the population of the risk of lyssavirus transmission.

Terrestrial rabies eliminated in Croatia – a historical overview

Terrestrial rabies eliminated in Croatia – a historical overview

Human rabies postexposure prophylaxis and rabid terrestrial animals in Ontario, Canada: 2014-2016.

The number of rabid terrestrial animals in Ontario has decreased markedly since the 1970s and 1980s. However, the number of recommended rabies postexposure prophylaxis (RPEP) courses has not decreased proportionally. The decision to recommend RPEP for terrestrial animal exposures should be based on a risk assessment that considers the prevalence of rabies in these animals within a jurisdiction, among other factors. To explore trends in RPEP recommendations for exposures to terrestrial animals in Ontario in relation to the recency of terrestrial animal rabies cases by public health unit (PHU) jurisdiction. RPEP recommendation data for the 36 Ontario PHUs were obtained from the Ontario integrated Public Health Information System and animal rabies data by PHU were obtained from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. We calculated the annual RPEP recommendation rates for terrestrial animals by PHU for 2014 to 2016, and plotted the 2016 rates in relation to the year of the most recently identified rabid terrestrial animal in the PHU. Between 2014 and 2016, the annual RPEP recommendation rates for terrestrial animal exposures by PHU ranged from 3.0 to 35.2 per 100,000 persons, with a median of 11.9 RPEP recommendations per 100,000 persons. In 2016, ten PHUs had not identified a rabid terrestrial animal in their jurisdiction for more than15 years. Five of these PHUs had RPEP recommendation rates above the provincial median. Along with other factors, consideration of the occurrence of rabies in terrestrial animals in a jurisdiction can assist in the risk assessment of dogs, cats or ferrets that are not available for subsequent observation.

Reintroducing beavers Castor fiber to Britain: a disease risk analysis

Abstract Eurasian beavers Castor fiber are potential hosts for a range of infectious diseases and parasites, including those typical of common European rodents. A number of infectious organisms are potentially zoonotic and may be notifiable under animal health legislation. The official trial beaver reintroductions to Scotland, the retrospectively licensed releases in England, and the increasingly obvious presence of large numbers of unlicensed illegally released animals have highlighted potential disease risks. We aimed to conduct a disease risk analysis, based on peer reviewed publications, for selection and health screening of Eurasian beavers prior to release into the wild in Britain. Adapted from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s ‘Guidelines for Disease Risk Analysis’, a four‐step process was used to formulate a disease risk analysis: 1) problem description; 2) hazard identification based on literature review; 3) risk assessment, which resulted in categorisation of pathogens into low, medium, and high risk; and 4) risk management: identification of mitigating measures, followed by risk re‐evaluation in light of the reported effectiveness of the mitigation measures. The highest‐risk pathogens identified in the literature review process included: parasites, specifically Cryptosporidium parvum, Echinococcus multilocularis, Eimeria spp., Fasciola hepatica, Giardia spp., Trichinella britovi; bacteria, specifically Escherichia coli, Franciscella tularensis, Mycobacterium avium, Salmonella spp., Yersinia spp.; a fungus Chrysosporium parvum (Emmonsia parva); and terrestrial rabies virus. Most could be mitigated by sourcing beavers from Britain. The rest could be mitigated by pre‐release testing procedures that are already established. The risk of introducing significant disease to humans, domestic animals, or wildlife by releasing into the wild in Britain a beaver that was captive‐bred in Britain or a wild beaver from Scotland, based on the current evidence of disease incidence, and assuming the use of robust, peer reviewed, pre‐release health screening techniques, can be viewed as low.

Bats and Viruses: Emergence of Novel Lyssaviruses and Association of Bats with Viral Zoonoses in the EU.

Bats in the EU have been associated with several zoonotic viral pathogens of significance to both human and animal health. Virus discovery continues to expand the existing understating of virus classification, and the increased interest in bats globally as reservoirs or carriers of zoonotic agents has fuelled the continued detection and characterisation of new lyssaviruses and other viral zoonoses. Although the transmission of lyssaviruses from bat species to humans or terrestrial species appears rare, interest in these viruses remains, through their ability to cause the invariably fatal encephalitis—rabies. The association of bats with other viral zoonoses is also of great interest. Much of the EU is free of terrestrial rabies, but several bat species harbor lyssaviruses that remain a risk to human and animal health. Whilst the rabies virus is the main cause of rabies globally, novel related viruses continue to be discovered, predominantly in bat populations, that are of interest purely through their classification within the lyssavirus genus alongside the rabies virus. Although the rabies virus is principally transmitted from the bite of infected dogs, these related lyssaviruses are primarily transmitted to humans and terrestrial carnivores by bats. Even though reports of zoonotic viruses from bats within the EU are rare, to protect human and animal health, it is important characterise novel bat viruses for several reasons, namely: (i) to investigate the mechanisms for the maintenance, potential routes of transmission, and resulting clinical signs, if any, in their natural hosts; (ii) to investigate the ability of existing vaccines, where available, to protect against these viruses; (iii) to evaluate the potential for spill over and onward transmission of viral pathogens in novel terrestrial hosts. This review is an update on the current situation regarding zoonotic virus discovery within bats in the EU, and provides details of potential future mechanisms to control the threat from these deadly pathogens.

Rabies update: the situation in Europe and global perspectives

Rabies is the oldest recognised zoonosis and yet continues to have significant public health, animal health, and economic consequences worldwide. It has become a disease of poverty, with children in resource-limited areas over represented among cases. Control in the animal reservoirs is the most effective way to reduce exposure in humans, therefore the veterinary profession has an obligation to contribute to control efforts. Much of Europe is terrestrial rabies free following concerted control efforts, and the risk of rabies importation into these areas is considered low. However, rabies virus does not respect cultural or political boundaries, and the risk will not be eliminated until rabies is drastically reduced globally. There is now a global strategy aimed at eliminating dog-mediated human rabies by 2030. This article summarises the essentials of the disease and virus, and the situation and risk in Europe, and puts this into global perspective.

FLAVOR PREFERENCE AND EFFICACY OF VARIABLE DOSE ONTARIO RABIES VACCINE BAIT (ONRAB) DELIVERY IN STRIPED SKUNKS (MEPHITIS MEPHITIS)

In North America, terrestrial wildlife rabies control is achieved by oral rabies vaccination programs that principally target mesocarnivores. Success at rabies control in striped skunks ( Mephitis mephitis) has been more limited and may require additional enhancements to existing bait products or novel bait designs and attractants. We evaluated preference among captive striped skunks for six different flavors of placebo Ontario Rabies Vaccine Bait (ONRAB®) "Ultralite" Baits (Artemis Technologies, Guelph, Ontario, Canada). Different doses and delivery methods of ONRAB vaccine were tested for efficacy in a subsequent experiment with the same skunks. Cheese-, egg-, and chicken-flavored baits were preferred over plain-flavored baits, but a strong preference for a singular flavor was not observed. Vaccine efficacy of 80-100% was observed among skunks challenged at 335 d postvaccination across a log range of doses tested by a direct instillation into the oral cavity route, respectively (109.3-1010.2 median tissue culture infective doses), in contrast to more-limited efficacy by bait delivery. Our results extended the duration of ONRAB vaccine efficacy in skunks and suggested that there may be limited flexibility to alter vaccine titer and volume in novel bait designs for skunks.

Assessment of Basic Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Community on Rabies and Retrospective Survey in and around Ambo Town, West Shoa Zone of Ethiopia

Background: Rabies is acute fatal encephalitis that affects all mammals and is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by rabies virus. Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice (KAP) of the community on rabies is vital to prevent the neglected deadly disease. The aim of the study was to assess the KAP of the community on rabies in and around Ambo town, Ethiopia. Methods: A cross sectional and retrospective studies were conducted from November 2015-April 2016 in and around Ambo town to assess knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of community on rabies; and to know a oneyear status of human rabies suspected case in Ambo hospital. The study participants were enrolled consecutively, and data was collected using questionnaires. Data was cleaned, coded and entered for analysis by SPSS version 20 software. KAP were defined based on mean scores. Results: The questioners survey indicated that the communities had poor knowledge, good attitude and good practice with (46.1%), (50.5%) and (63.5%), respectively. Hence the overall KAP scores were good (53.4%) implying that the communities had good awareness about rabies. There was no statically significant association between sex and age of respondents with knowledge, attitude and practice scores (p>0.05). There was statistically significant association between educational level with knowledge and attitude scores (p<0.05). The retrospective review showed that the majority of suspected cases were males (52.4%). Almost all suspected cases were bitten by dog (94.2%) followed by human bites (3.8%). Majority of suspected case were recorded in autumn and winter (35.6%). Conclusion: This study showed that there was terrestrial rabies (human, canine, sylvatic) that leads to human rabies suspected case and awareness of respondents on rabies were good although poor about wound management for bitten individuals in the study areas. Further public awareness creation is still essential on multidimensional impacts of rabies, responsible pet ownership, managements of bitten animals, first aid treatment and on the use of traditional remedy.

Natural exposure of bats in Grenada to rabies virus

ABSTRACT Introduction: Grenada is a rabies endemic country, where terrestrial rabies is maintained in the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus). The role of bats in the epidemiology of rabies in Grenada is unknown. A 1974 report described one rabies virus positive Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis), and a high seroprevalence in this species. In the current study, the natural exposure to rabies virus in Grenadian bats was re-evaluated. It is postulated that bats serve as a natural rabies reservoir, probably circulating a bat-specific rabies virus variant. Material and methods: Bats were trapped in 2015 in all six parishes of Grenada using mist- and hand nets. For the detection of rabies virus in brain tissue, the direct fluorescent antibody test (dFAT) and the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used. Serum neutralizing antibodies were determined using the fluorescent antibody virus neutralization test (FAVN). Results and discussion: Brain tissue and sera from 111 insectivorous and frugivorous bats belonging to four species were tested (52 Artibeus jamaicensis, two Artibeus lituratus, 33 Glossophaga longirostris, 24 Molossus molossus). Rabies virus antigen and genomic RNA were not detected in brain tissues. Rabies virus neutralizing antibodies were detected in the sera of eight A. jamaicensis in four of the six parishes. Bats in Grenada continue to show natural exposure to rabies virus. As rabies virus was not isolated in this study, serology alone is not sufficient to determine the strain of rabies virus circulating in A. jamaicensis bats in Grenada. Conclusion: Artibeus jamaicensis appears to play a role as a reservoir bat species, which is of public health concern in Grenada. Dispersion of bats to neighboring islands is possible and serological bat surveys should be initiated in these neighboring states, especially in those areas that are free of rabies in terrestrial mammals.

Rabies disease dynamics in naïve dog populations in Australia

Currently, Australia is free from terrestrial rabies but an incursion from nearby Indonesia, where the virus is endemic, is a feasible threat. Here, we aimed to determine whether the response to a simulated rabies incursion would vary between three extant Australian dog populations; free-roaming domestic dogs from a remote indigenous community in northern Australia, and free-roaming domestic and wild dogs in peri-urban areas of north-east New South Wales. We further sought to predict how different management strategies impacted disease dynamics in these populations.We used simple stochastic state-transition models and dog demographic and contact rate data from the three dog populations to simulate rabies spread, and used global and local sensitivity analyses to determine effects of model parameters. To identify the most effective control options, dog removal and vaccination strategies were also simulated.Responses to simulated rabies incursions varied between the dog populations. Free-roaming domestic dogs from north-east New South Wales exhibited the lowest risk for rabies maintenance and spread. Due to low containment and high contact rates, rabies progressed rapidly through free-roaming dogs from the remote indigenous community in northern Australia. In contrast, rabies remained at relatively low levels within the north-east New South Wales wild dog population for over a year prior to an epidemic. Across all scenarios, sensitivity analyses revealed that contact rates and the probability of transmission were the most important drivers of the number of infectious individuals within a population. The number of infectious individuals was less sensitive to birth and death rates. Removal of dogs as a control strategy was not effective for any population modelled, while vaccination rates in excess of 70% of the population resulted in significant reductions in disease progression.The variability in response between these distinct dog groups to a rabies incursion, suggests that a blanket approach to management would not be effective or feasible to control rabies in Australia. Control strategies that take into account the different population and behavioural characteristics of these dog groups will maximise the likelihood of effective and efficient rabies control in Australia.

Estimates of small Indian mongoose densities: Implications for rabies management

ABSTRACTThe small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) is an invasive species and rabies reservoir in Puerto Rico. In the continental United States, terrestrial wildlife rabies is primarily managed by the National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) of the United States Department of Agriculture through oral rabies vaccination (ORV); the distribution of the vaccine baits is influenced by the population density of the target species. The NRMP uses a density index for estimating raccoon (Procyon lotor) population density to guide bait distribution. In Puerto Rico, a wildlife rabies vaccination program does not exist and vaccination of domestic animals is limited and not compulsory. To acquire information on density and other population dynamics, we compared a mongoose density index (MDI) adapted from the NRMP raccoon density index (RDI) to 3 other methods (2 types of capture–mark–recapture [CAPTURE and MARK] and spatially explicit capture–recapture [SECR]) for estimating density that incorporate modeling procedures on detection probabilities, and examined the spatial distribution of mongooses within our study plots. We used the RDI trapping protocol modified for mongooses to livetrap mongooses in El Yunque National Forest (El Yunque) and Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge (Cabo Rojo) in fall of 2011 and spring of 2012 resulting in 4 trapping sessions. The MDI estimates were consistently less than those from other methods for estimating mongoose densities. The MDI detected a greater mongoose density during the wet season (0.55 mongooses/ha) than the dry season (0.34 mongooses/ha) at Cabo Rojo, consistent with all 3 other density estimation methods. Overall, the correlation coefficient between MDI and the other calculation methods was ≥0.68. When we examined known locations of mongooses and travel distances, we detected more mongooses in a smaller area within the study plot at Cabo Rojo than at El Yunque. The MDI provided information on the spatial distribution of mongooses, which will be needed to implement an ORV program to target mongooses in Puerto Rico. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Update on oral vaccination of foxes and raccoon dogs against rabies

An assessment of a report issued by the European Commission in 2002 is presented about the oral vaccination of foxes against rabies, as well as additional topics such as the rabies aetiology and its occurrence in Europe, the target species for oral vaccination, i.e. foxes and raccoon dogs, the oral vaccines available and their thermostability, rabies surveillance and monitoring, and the recent international guidelines for rabies surveillance are discussed. Foxes are the only known reservoir for rabies in Europe, and raccoon dogs are important transmitters, while other carnivores play a less important epidemiological role. The demographic expansion of raccoon dogs and their movements after hibernation are risk factors for rabies recurrence. The combined densities of foxes and raccoon dogs, which often share the same habitats, could allow rabies epizootics to persist. The epidemiological role and the pathogenesis of rabies in raccoon dogs and other carnivores must still be clarified. Four vaccines are authorised in the EU and their effectiveness is proven to successfully contribute to rabies elimination. Experimental and field evidence shows that climatic and weather conditions may impact on bait casings and vaccine stability. Data on the stability of vaccine baits under different field conditions should be provided. It is recommended that bait should keep its integrity at the release point. Because of bait stability issues, the season most appropriate for implementing oral rabies vaccination or a heat-stable vaccine should be considered. Rabies surveillance and monitoring of vaccination, based on assessment of bait uptake and seroconversion in host species, are important tools for the evaluation and adjustment of vaccination campaigns, although alternatives to tetracyclines as biomarkers should be developed. Oral immunisation by vaccine baits has proven to be successful in eliminating terrestrial wildlife rabies, but long-term strategy, temporal continuity of vaccination and cross-border cooperation are needed and recommended.