A Century-Old Success Story

It may come as a surprise, but rabies still kills 59,000 people every year. Hence the need for targeted efforts like World Rabies Day on Saturday.
 
A century ago, New York City showed that nixing rabies from the world’s cities is doable. Its streets were once flooded with stray dogs spreading the disease—but by embracing the rabies vaccine, intensifying animal control efforts and emphasizing responsible dog ownership, the city all-but-eliminated the rabies menace.
 
“Global hopes to eliminate human deaths from dog-borne rabies are entirely plausible, if societies muster the requisite will,” writes Jessica Wang of the University of British Columbia.

The Washington Post (commentary)