Chile Becomes the First South American Country Validated for Eliminating Dog-Transmitted Rabies
The World Health Organization has validated Chile as having eliminated dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem. The country's last human case caught from a dog was in 1972, the result of more than five decades of vaccination, surveillance and fast treatment after bites.
HealthGNGV Editorial Team4 min readLast reviewed October 5, 2026
Chile has become the first country in South America to be validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem. The announcement, made on 14 September 2026, recognises an achievement that has quietly held for half a century: the last human case of rabies passed on by a dog in Chile was recorded in 1972.
WHO validation is not handed out lightly. A country must show that rabies transmission among dogs has been interrupted, that no human has died of dog-mediated rabies for at least two years, and that it has strong systems in place to prevent the disease from returning. Chile has gone more than 50 years without such a case.
According to WHO, the result rests on a long list of patient, unglamorous work. Chile ran free mass vaccination campaigns for dogs and cats, including door-to-door dog vaccination, and put in place targeted measures to manage dog populations. Epidemiological surveillance and laboratory diagnosis kept watch for the virus, people who might have been exposed received timely post-exposure prophylaxis, and community awareness campaigns explained how to stay safe. Health authorities also assessed the risk in border areas.
"This validation reflects decades of commitment to protecting communities from rabies and demonstrates the impact of sustained investment in public health," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The recognition follows Chile's verification earlier in 2026 as the first country in the Americas to eliminate leprosy, and it supports the Pan American Health Organization's initiative to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions by 2030.
The wider picture still calls for vigilance. Dog-transmitted rabies remains a serious threat worldwide, causing tens of thousands of deaths every year, mostly in Asia and Africa. But the Americas have cut human cases of dog-mediated rabies by more than 98% since 1983, and Chile's validation shows that a disease once feared everywhere can be pushed out with vaccines, surveillance and steady public health work.
Why it matters
Dog-transmitted rabies still kills tens of thousands of people a year; Chile's validation shows that dog vaccination and fast care after bites can end human deaths from it.
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What you can do
Keep your dogs and cats up to date on rabies vaccination, and if an animal bites or scratches you, wash the wound and seek medical advice promptly.
