Chile Becomes First South American Nation to Eliminate Dog-Transmitted Human Rabies
SANTIAGO, Chile — Chile has reached an encouraging public health milestone, becoming the first South American country to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies in humans, the World Health Organization announced Monday.
The achievement follows more than five decades of dedicated prevention, vaccination and disease monitoring. Chile’s last reported case of rabies passing from a dog to a person occurred in 1972, according to the WHO.
“This validation reflects decades of commitment to protecting communities from rabies and demonstrates the impact of sustained investment in public health,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “Chile’s success offers valuable lessons for countries working to end human deaths caused by this preventable disease.”
Chile’s progress grew from a long-term national strategy that brought together health officials, municipalities and local communities. The country organized widespread pet vaccination programs, provided vaccines to people potentially exposed to the virus and conducted door-to-door campaigns to protect dogs.
Those efforts were supported by responsible dog-population management and public education programs that helped communities understand how to prevent the disease.
At a celebration in Santiago, Chilean Health Minister May Chomali praised the “joint efforts” behind the accomplishment.
“The public policy on rabies eradication has yielded the results we desired as a community and as a country,” Chomali said while recognizing the essential work performed at the local level. “They are the ones on the ground, where education, vaccination, and pet control take place.”
Pan American Health Organization Director Jarbas Barbosa also commended Chile for showing “what can be achieved” when nations consistently support “vaccination, surveillance, and access to care.”
Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, most commonly through a bite. Infection may also occur when contaminated saliva enters a person’s eyes, nose or mouth. Once symptoms begin, the disease is almost always fatal, but vaccination, careful monitoring and rapid access to post-exposure treatment can prevent it.
Chile’s success adds to decades of hopeful progress across the Americas. Since 1983, human cases of dog-transmitted rabies in the region have fallen by more than 98%, and only a small number are now reported each year.
The global challenge remains significant, with rabies killing nearly 60,000 people annually, most following dog bites. Chile’s accomplishment offers a positive example of how sustained public health programs, community participation and dependable access to care can save lives.
