Explore the recorded discovery and history of Rabies virus, with source links and stated limits.
CDC describes rabies as a fatal but preventable viral disease that spreads to people through bites and scratches from infected animals and primarily affects the central nervous system. WHO states that dog bites and scratches cause up to 99% of human rabies cases. Care given after an exposure and before symptoms start is nearly 100% effective at preventing the disease.
WHO records that rabies is included in its 2021–2030 roadmap for the global control of neglected tropical diseases, which sets progressive targets for the Zero by 30 plan to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030, and that Gavi has included rabies vaccine in its investment strategy since 2021.
As of 17 September 2026, WHO records that Bhutan, Chile and Mexico have been validated for the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies as a public health problem. Separately, 17 countries have self-declared to WOAH that they are free from infection with rabies virus, which is an animal-health declaration rather than the same validation.
Rabies is a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals, and no discovery or first-human-case milestone has been curated for this profile. The bundled milestones are public-health records from the elimination programme, not a first infection.
Source check: 2026-09-19. Educational content; independent scientific review remains pending.