Sustainably fighting rabies

“Lives of animals and humans are interconnected in deep and complex ways,” shares Jean Scheftsik de Szolnok, Member of the Board of Managing Directors with responsibility for Animal Health. “That is why we intercept animal to human transmission of rabies on all fronts: by immunizing pet and stray dogs, avoiding reintroduction of the disease through wildlife vaccination, and by helping communities establish structures to fight rabies themselves.” 

Sharing rabies insights by thought leaders in animal health

Learn from two veterinary experts and public figures about rabies control! In “Rabies prevention requires a global effort" Prof. Louis Nel, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), shares how dog vaccination campaigns but also education and awareness to prevent human rabies deaths. Dr. Silvina Muñiz, president of the Argentinian association for pet veterinarians AVEACA, shares insights in her interview “Rabies: Listening is not enough.” She relays what is important to veterinarians for the fight against rabies and how the animal health industry can contribute.

Remaining vigilant against emerging rabies threats

Beyond the U.S. border with Mexico, a potential new threat of rabies looms for cattle, horses and other animals in the Southern United States. The threat comes from vampire bats capable of transmitting rabies while feeding on the blood of livestock and horses. Vampire bats already cause suffering and economic damage in Mexico and South America. Now the bat’s home-range appears to be creeping northward for various reasons, including deforestation and other environmental changes. Find out more about this new development and how we fight rabies across the U.S. here. 

Helping vulnerable communities in Vietnam

Earlier this year Boehringer Ingelheim Vietnam provided 6,000 rabies vaccine doses to the Duc Hue District, located in the Long An province in the south west of Vietnam at the Cambodian border. Thanks to the teamwork of local authorities and experts, the entire dog and cat population of 11 villages was vaccinated. The campaign is part of the Boehringer Ingelheim’s regional corporate social responsibility effort to help fighting rabies in vulnerable communities in Southeast Asia. Read the full article here.

Empowering local efforts in Pakistan

“Rabies Free Pakistan”, led by the Indus Hospital in Karachi, is one such self-sustained rabies initiatives Boehringer Ingelheim amplifies. We provide dog catchers of Rabies Free Pakistan with rabies vaccines and bright green dog collars to put on vaccinated stray dogs, helping them with post vaccination monitoring. Once Rabies Free Pakistan’s dog catchers started using the collars on dogs, they had a surprising side effect: the people of Karachi now react in a more friendly way to collared stray dogs, knowing they do not pose a risk of rabies infection. Click to find out more!

Long-term success in and with Mexico

Where Pakistan still has a long way to go in its fight against rabies, Mexico has reached a milestone: the country has officially obtained the status as free from dog-mediated rabies  according to new standards by the WHO, as the first country worldwide. It has done so through its continuous dog vaccination campaigns. “We are proud to have contributed to Mexico’s efforts in eliminating dog-mediated rabies,” says Jean-Luc Michel, Head of Global Strategic Marketing at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health. Find out more here. 

Making sure rabies can’t return

Even countries that have eliminated dog-mediated rabies cannot rest idle, as wild animals may reintroduce the disease. As an example, every year in the U.S., government planes drop millions of small packets containing Boehringer Ingelheim’s wildlife vaccine doses in rural areas to reduce the risk of wild animals transmitting rabies to people, pets or livestock. Click here to read the article "Rabies and wildlife: 5 things you should know" and here to see the video of how we're fighting rabies from the air. 

Educating and vaccinating in Nepal

In 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim embarked on a project of a critical importance – raising the awareness and knowledge of rabies in Nepal and establishing local self-sustaining methodologies and processes to help the country tackle this fully preventable disease. "Rabies is an omnipresent threat in Nepal. Therefore, this initiative is extremely important to save lives," shares Isabelle Buschulte, Global Senior Compliance Manager at Boehringer Ingelheim. The project has two parts: a rabies education and awareness program and a vaccination program. Click here to find out what happened in 2018, the first year of the project, and here to learn how the team built on their success in 2019.

Supporting the SHOTS FOR GOOD initiative

In 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim donated 75,000 doses of rabies vaccine to the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) in recognition of World Rabies Day on September 28. The donation was the result of SHOTS FOR GOOD, in which Boehringer Ingelheim pledged to donate doses of rabies vaccine for every dose of PUREVAX®, RECOMBITEK® and IMRAB® vaccine purchased by participating veterinary practices from July 2 to August 10 2018. The donated doses supported a mass dog vaccination campaign in Madagascar. Interested to learn more? Click here!

We continually raise awareness for rabies

Knowing about a problem allows you to do something about it. That’s why we educate about the importance of rabies, the global impact of the disease, and what each and every one of us can do to fight it. “10 things you should know about rabies” gives a concise overview of the latest rabies-related facts & figures, what the treatment of the disease entails, and what to do when you suspect you or your pets have been exposed to rabies. “The human dog relationship – a historical perspective” gives you a walk through the millennia during which dogs and humans evolved together – and how rabies plays into it. And in an interview titled “It feels great to be part of the solution”, Jean-Luc Michel, Head of Global Strategic Marketing, shares his views on the importance of prevention, human-animal bond, and why he fully supports the World Rabies Day now and in the future.