PUBLIC HEALTH CONTROL MEASURES AND CASE MANAGEMENT IN THE TREATMENT OF RABIES IN DOGS

Abstract

Canine rabies remains a lethal threat to global public health, being responsible for approximately 60,000 deaths annually, with infected dogs acting as the main reservoir of the virus. With no reliable treatment after the onset of symptoms, primary prevention through mass immunization is the central public health strategy. This study, characterized as a narrative literature review, analyzed the most recent scientific evidence related to canine rabies control measures. The persistence of the disease is sustained by low vaccination coverage in canine populations (observed in 73.14% of aggressor dogs in one study). Eradication requires sustained annual vaccination coverage of at least 70% of the population. Oral Vaccination (ORV) emerges as an indispensable and cost-effective tool to complement parenteral vaccination, reaching free-roaming dogs and contributing to critical levels of herd immunity. While pharmacovigilance surveillance reinforces the global safety of immunobiologicals, prevention remains the central axis. It is concluded that effective rabies control depends on interrupting transmission in the canine reservoir through mass vaccination, aligned with the One Health concept.