Can Travel and Trade Affect the Global Epidemiology of Rabies?: A Short Review

Rabies is an acute, progressive, universally fatal encephalitis, caused by a zoonotic Lyssavirus belonging to the family Rhabdoviridae. Although an infectious disease, traditionally, it has not been considered to be spread through international trade and travel owing to the absence of human-to-human transmission. However, cross-border animal migration, animal trade, and travel to areas endemic for rabies pose a chance of emergence of travel-associated rabies as a public health threat. Additionally, the fact that the developed world has eradicated canine variant of the rabies virus impresses the imperative that adequate surveillance is maintained to prevent re-entry and re-establishment of the virus. The current review looks at evidence around outbreaks of travel-associated rabies and examines the various levels at which travel-associated rabies poses a threat and proposes policy recommendations which could be adopted in a local setting to combat the emerging public health challenge.