By Rosario Ares, Global Rabies Manager, Pet Division, Biogénesis Bagó.
There is something paradoxical about rabies: it is one of the deadliest diseases we know, yet also one of the most preventable. Once symptoms appear, the disease is fatal. However, we have a concrete tool to prevent it: vaccination.
So, if we know how to prevent it, why does rabies remain a public health challenge in different parts of the world? The answer lies not only in science. It lies in access, education, the epidemiological characteristics of each territory, and our ability to turn an available tool into effective prevention.
The disease is present in more than 150 countries and regions, and the World Health Organization confirms that dogs transmit more than 95% of human rabies cases. In addition, four out of every ten victims are children. In this context, the challenge is no longer simply having a vaccine available. It is ensuring that prevention reaches the places where it is needed most.
One Disease, Different Realities
The data are compelling, but discussing rabies at the global level requires recognizing that there is no single epidemiological reality. Latin America has made significant progress in controlling canine rabies, and that is an achievement we should value, but it does not mean the disease has disappeared. The virus continues to circulate, and animal reservoirs remain a threat. In Argentina, for example, bats are a significant reservoir and may represent a source of exposure for companion animals.
Meanwhile, in different regions of Asia and Africa, the situation is even more critical. People continue to die after dog bites, and access to prevention tools remains a challenge.
These scenarios cannot be addressed in the same way. Each strategy must take into account local epidemiology, the characteristics of animal populations, access to veterinary and healthcare services, available infrastructure, and the logistical conditions of each market.
Prevention as the Common Denominator
When we talk about rabies, effective prevention begins much earlier: when a dog or cat is vaccinated, when a veterinarian recommends keeping the vaccination schedule up to date, and when a pet owner understands that vaccinating an animal is also a way to protect the people around them.
It also happens when a government is able to implement vaccination campaigns, when appropriate surveillance systems are in place, and when vaccines can reach their destination and be stored under the required conditions. That is why talking about prevention means talking about a system.
In this regard, rabies is one of the clearest examples of why we need to approach animal health and human health in an integrated way. When we vaccinate a dog, we protect that animal and, at the same time, reduce a potential route of transmission to people.
When governments, veterinarians, health organizations, and industry coordinate efforts to expand vaccination coverage, the One Health concept moves beyond a statement and becomes a concrete practice.
Biogénesis Bagó has extensive experience in rabies prevention in Latin America. Since 2012, we have participated in the Pan American Health Organization’s Revolving Fund and, through this mechanism, have supplied more than 138 million doses to over 14 countries. We also have an annual production capacity of more than 50 million doses of rabies vaccine.
But this experience also raises a question for the future: how can we ensure that solutions are increasingly tailored to the needs of each territory? The challenge requires us to change the question. It is no longer enough to ask ourselves what product we can offer; we need to ask what each territory needs for prevention to truly work.
At our company, we understand that expansion does not simply mean taking a solution from one market to another. It means listening. Understanding local epidemiology, learning about governments’ needs, and identifying barriers to access. Understanding regulatory and logistical conditions and, above all, building partnerships with local organizations that enable us to develop sustainable, long-term solutions.
In animal health, growth should not mean simply reaching more markets. It should mean being able to address more needs. Because the question we should be asking is not only whether we can prevent rabies—we know we can—but how far we can take that prevention.