The animal is not only a reservoir: rabies and the limits of one health

Abstract

Rabies demonstrates both the value and the limitations of the One Health approach as a public-health framework. Although mass dog vaccination and timely post-exposure prophylaxis can prevent human deaths, surveillance frequently underestimates disease burden, while control programs may treat dogs primarily as reservoirs or population denominators. Drawing together natural science, history, and anthropology, and narrating a remembered encounter with a rabid community dog named Lucky, this commentary examines what that framing overlooks. Epidemiology identifies transmission pathways and surveillance gaps; history reveals how ownership and administrative categories allocate responsibility; and anthropology shows how care, fear, and contested belonging influence reporting and cooperation. We argue that effective rabies control requires more than vaccination targets. Success should include zero human deaths, reduced canine rabies, equitable access to post-exposure prophylaxis, stronger surveillance, humane animal management, and public trust.