News

Important Annual Rabies in the Americas (RITA) XXIV meeting: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 27-31, 2013

“The Rabies in the Americas (RITA) meeting is an annual event that has been held since 1990. It has been hosted in many countries across the Americas. For many years, RITA has grown in popularity and prominence with delegates now coming from more than 20 countries across five continents. 

 The meeting provides an opportunity for researchers, health professionals, international, national and local managers of rabies programs, wildlife biologists, laboratory personnel and other people interested in advancing knowledge of rabies surveillance, prevention and control, to meet each other, to share their successes and also to discuss the challenges to be met.” ...

 Please read more at http://www.rabiesintheamericas.org/home

 

Also note the following salient comment:

 

“Rabies is the epitome of a One Health issue based upon theory and practice. Based upon World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines, the disease should be reportable in all countries. As such, proper surveillance at the human, domestic animal, and wildlife interface sets the standard for the detection of emerging infectious diseases. From a laboratory perspective, this is the only example of a routine diagnostic test applied in real time on a suspect animal that results in direct life saving medical intervention in Homo sapiens. Moreover, the disease is global in distribution. All mammals are susceptible. Additionally, as a vaccine preventable disease, ideal application of herd immunity targeting reservoir species is the most cost-effective method of intervention from a health economics approach.”  

Charles E. Rupprecht, VMD, PhD

Director of Research, Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC)

 

Note: Dr. Rupprecht is a leading internationally recognized Rabies expert and formerly Head, OIE Reference Laboratory at CDC, Chief, Rabies Program at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Director, World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Reference & Research at U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).