Chile has been officially recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the first country in South America to eliminate dog-mediated rabies as a public health problem. The country has not recorded a human case of rabies transmitted by dogs since 1972.
According to the WHO, the recognition is the result of more than fifty years of uninterrupted efforts in vaccination, surveillance, laboratory testing and prompt treatment of people who may have been exposed to the virus.
Rabies is a viral disease that is almost always fatal once clinical symptoms appear. Infection can occur through a bite, scratch or contact with the saliva of an infected animal, among other ways. However, the disease can be prevented through vaccination and timely treatment following possible exposure.
Vaccination campaigns and surveillance
Chile carried out large-scale vaccination campaigns for dogs and cats for years. Animals were also vaccinated door to door, and measures were introduced to control the dog population. In addition, the country invested in education on animal bites, responsible pet ownership and the prevention of infections.
The national programme for the prevention and control of rabies includes free vaccination campaigns, epidemiological surveillance and expanded laboratory diagnostics. The spread of the virus among animals is also monitored, while people are given timely access to preventive treatment after possible exposure.
In recent years, Chile has also expanded community-based surveillance. In border areas where there is an increased risk of the virus being reintroduced, additional preventive vaccinations are carried out.
Rigorous assessment by experts
To obtain WHO recognition, Chile had to demonstrate not only that no people had been infected through dogs for decades. The country also had to prove that it has sufficient capacity to quickly detect new infections and prevent further spread.
A technical dossier from Chile was assessed by an independent international group of experts. They concluded that the country meets the internationally established requirements for surveillance, laboratory testing, vaccination and control.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the recognition a historic achievement. According to him, Chile demonstrates what long-term investments in public health can achieve.
Sharp decline in the Americas
Since 1983, the number of human cases of dog-mediated rabies in North, Central and South America has fallen by more than 98 percent. Only a few cases are still reported in the region each year.
Worldwide, however, the disease still causes tens of thousands of deaths each year, especially in Asia and Africa. Dogs are responsible for up to 99 percent of all cases in which people are infected with rabies.
Chile’s recognition contributes to the regional goal of eliminating dog-mediated rabies in humans. The Pan American Health Organization aims to eliminate more than thirty communicable diseases and related health problems in the Americas by 2030.
