Rabies—Global Challenges, Societal Perspectives, and Case Studies

Dear Colleagues,

Rabies remains one of the deadliest zoonotic diseases globally, with an almost 100% case fatality rate once symptoms appear. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, rabies continues to claim tens of thousands of lives each year, particularly in low-resource settings. To date, rabies research has yielded significant findings in areas such as diagnostics, treatment, virology, and vaccine strategies through numerous studies. However, relatively few research collections have focused on topics such as international efforts and policies for rabies elimination, socioeconomic aspects, or case studies from each country and region. Such information is valuable not only to academic researchers but also to a wide range of stakeholders, including frontline rabies healthcare providers involved in prevention and treatment, policymakers responsible for public health and rabies elimination strategy, and donors and NGO personnel supporting countries with limited resources. The dissemination of this knowledge can thus have a substantial societal impact. Therefore, we welcome the submission of original research articles, reviews, and case reports from the following three areas:

1. Global Overview and Public Health Challenges: Submissions should explore the current epidemiology of rabies worldwide, including barriers to elimination and the effectiveness of global health strategies, such as those promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international bodies, as well as policy analyses.
2. Societal, Ethical, and Educational Dimensions: Rabies prevention and control efforts are deeply embedded in social, economic, and ethical contexts; therefore, papers that examine public awareness, health education, community engagement, and the ethical dilemmas associated with animal control measures are desirable. Studies on misinformation, stigma, and cultural perceptions are also highly relevant.
3. Field-Based and Regional Case Studies: Detailed case studies from the field—whether urban or rural, or endemic or newly affected areas—are highly beneficial. Reports on outbreaks, successful intervention programs, and community-driven prevention strategies are particularly encouraged. These contributions will help bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Through this collection, we aim to shed light on the multifaceted nature of rabies and promote interdisciplinary dialog toward its global elimination.

Dr. Koji Kanda
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• epidemiology
• policy analyses
• surveillance
• public awareness
• health education
• community engagement
• ethical dilemmas