Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Rabies is a zoonotic disease caused by rabies viruses(RABV). China is a high-risk country for rabies. To address China's rabies situation, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued the National Animal Disease Surveillance and Epidemiological Investigation Plan. This study systematically summarized animal rabies surveillance data from the past two decades based on the Program. METHODS: Suspected rabies cases collected through the Program between 2004 and 2024 underwent confirmatory diagnosis at the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for animal rabies using national standard protocols: direct fluorescent antibody testing (FAT) and real-time RT-PCR. Epidemiological data from confirmed cases were analyzed using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping and statistical evaluation methods. RESULTS: Laboratory diagnosis confirmed 331 of 433 suspected cases (76.44%) as rabies-positive. These confirmed cases originated from 15 provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) and revealed two distinct transmission patterns: a) dog-mediated rabies, accounting for 47.13% of cases and predominantly endemic in southern PLADs, where it poses ongoing human exposure risks; and b) wildlife-mediated rabies in livestock, comprising 52.87% of cases and primarily transmitted by foxes in northern PLADs, with the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) experiencing the highest burden. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide surveillance has elucidated current rabies transmission dynamics across China, revealing persistent threats from dog rabies to human health in southern PLADs and emerging threats from wildlife-mediated rabies to livestock in northern border regions. These findings underscore the critical need for enhanced surveillance systems and targeted vaccination strategies addressing both domestic dog populations and wildlife reservoirs to achieve effective rabies control.