# Animal rabies prevention and control in Shanghai, China: policies and practices, 2011–2025

## TL;DR

Shanghai has implemented various strategies to prevent and control rabies, but challenges remain in vaccinating free-roaming animals and achieving the 2030 zero-death goal.

## Contribution

The paper outlines Shanghai's rabies prevention strategies and highlights future priorities to achieve the 2030 zero-death goal.

## Key findings

- Shanghai's integrated strategies have reduced human rabies cases.
- Low vaccination coverage among free-roaming animals remains a major challenge.
- Future priorities include oral vaccines for free-roaming animals and improved postexposure prophylaxis access.

## Abstract

Rabies remains a public health issue in Shanghai, with human cases reported since 2006, necessitating sustained multi-faceted control.

Key measures include mandatory canine vaccination, increased access to vaccination services (19–431 by 2025), management of free-roaming animals, and public education campaigns.

Challenges persist—particularly the low vaccination coverage among free-roaming animals. Future priorities involve developing oral rabies vaccines for free-roaming animals, enhancing wildlife rabies surveillance, expanding insurance coverage for postexposure prophylaxis, and strengthening cross-sector collaboration through the One Health framework.

Shanghai’s integrated strategies have reduced human rabies. Achieving the 2030 zero-death goal requires closing gaps in free-roaming animal vaccination and postexposure prophylaxis access.