Rabies in Brazil: Last human case transmitted from dogs almost 10 years ago
According to the Brazil Ministry of Health, from 2005 to 2024, 108 cases of human rabies were confirmed in Brazil. The region with the most cases is the Northeast, with 60 cases. Next comes the North, with 32 cases; the Southeast, with 11 cases; the Central-West, with four cases; and the South, with just one case.
Wild animals are the main source of infection of the virus for humans in the country.
From 2023 to the second epidemiological week of 2025, three human cases of the disease transmitted by primates of the genus Callithrix (marmoset, tamarins) were recorded, all in the Northeast region, which represents 33.3% of the human cases recorded in that period in Brazil.
Rabies transmission by dogs was the most well-known among the population, however, the variants were reduced due to canine and feline anti-rabies vaccination campaigns and focus blockades.
The last cases of rabies in humans transmitted by dogs occurred in 2013, in Maranhão, and in 2015, in Mato Grosso do Sul, both with variants of the virus typical of dogs (AgV1/AgV2). Therefore, Brazil has been without records of human rabies transmitted by dogs for almost 10 years.
Despite advances in controlling rabies transmitted by dogs, Brazil faces new challenges, with the increase in human rabies cases caused by variants of the rabies virus in wild animals, especially bats. Today, transmission by bats is the main source of rabies infection in humans in the country.
There was an increase in the disease in bats in urban areas: from 2005 to 2014, there were 1,690 records; and from 2015 to 2024, there were 2,738. The number represents an increase of 62%.
Human rabies is an infectious disease caused by a virus and can be transmitted between animals and humans through saliva or mucous membranes from the eyes, nose and mouth. The disease affects the central nervous system and can lead to death. In cases of accidents involving animals that transmit rabies, the Ministry of Health recommends that the victim wash the area with soap and water and seek the nearest Basic Health Unit (UBS) for evaluation and anti-rabies treatment, if necessary.
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After the incubation period, nonspecific clinical symptoms of human rabies appear and last from two to 10 days. During this period, the patient may experience: general malaise; slight increase in temperature; anorexia; headache; nausea; sore throat; numbness; irritability; restlessness; and/or a feeling of anguish. There may also be enlarged lymph nodes, hypersensitivity to stimuli and paresthesia in the peripheral nerve pathways near the bite site, in addition to changes in behavior.
As the disease progresses, more serious complications arise, such as increasing anxiety and hyperexcitability; fever; delirium; involuntary, generalized muscle spasms and/or convulsions. Muscle spasms of the larynx, pharynx and tongue occur when the patient sees or tries to ingest liquid, presenting “hydrophobia”. Muscle spasms evolve into paralysis, leading to cardiorespiratory changes, urinary retention and intestinal constipation. Dysphagia, aerophobia, hyperacusis and photophobia are also observed.
When the clinical picture is accompanied by signs and symptoms characteristic of rabies, preceded by a bite, scratch or licking of mucous membranes caused by a suspected animal, the diagnosis is made naturally. To confirm this, an autopsy is performed for laboratory confirmation and identification of the viral variant.
The recommendation is that, in case of contact with any mammal that can potentially transmit rabies, including wild animals, it is necessary to seek medical care at a health unit for appropriate and timely anti-rabies prophylaxis. It is important to highlight that accidents involving wild animals are considered serious, requiring a complete regimen with vaccine and anti-rabies serum.
According to the Health Surveillance Guide , rabies prophylaxis is free and available at UBS. The Ministry of Health also recommends that people do not touch bats that have fallen on the ground and do not interact with wild animals.