Arya Nagvekar

Wildlife Rabies: Past, Present, and Future

Started Sept. 9, 2023

Abstract or project description

Rabies is a fatal viral disease that infects the central nervous system and has afflicted humankind for millennia. Though vaccines have largely stopped the deadliness of the disease in the developed world, complete eradication of the disease is only possible through the vaccination of wildlife. Efforts to do so have involved ineffective population control and the modern solution, oral vaccines. However, these vaccines are limited to certain species and difficult to distribute globally, so rabies is still rampant in Asia and Africa. This literature review hopes to discuss the history of rabies vaccination in wildlife, its effectiveness around the world, and what new technology scientists are developing to combat rabies in wildlife.