Using an integrated One Health approach to eliminate rabies

Rabies provides a powerful model for understanding ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that sustain multi-host pathogens and drive cross-species transmission. While mass dog vaccination can eliminate rabies locally, uncertainties about viral persistence across interconnected populations and spillover to wildlife are features of reservoir dynamics that pose challenges beyond rabies to emerging zoonoses globally. In southeast Tanzania, my research has revealed transmission chains involving domestic dogs and wildlife. Following dog vaccination campaigns, rabies declined but resurged when campaigns ended, raising questions about whether wildlife maintain rabies independently or if outbreaks spread from connected dog populations. I will test whether (1) rabies is maintained solely by domestic dogs despite frequent spillover into wildlife, and (2) resurgence arises through reintroductions from neighbouring unvaccinated dog populations rather than cryptic local persistence. Through a One Health framework integrating large-scale vaccination, high-resolution viral genomics, and enhanced surveillance, I will investigate: (1) the ecological mechanisms underlying rabies circulation following dog vaccination; the contributions of (2) wildlife and dog population connectivity to rabies persistence; and (3) how community behaviours impact effectiveness of control measures. Findings will contribute to understanding multi-host pathogen persistence, assessing risks of long-term host shifts and development of transferable frameworks for managing complex zoonotic systems.