Assessing the progress towards rabies elimination from Pemba Island, Tanzania .

Rabies is a deadly disease endemic in dog populations across Africa. Although rabies can be eliminated through mass dog vaccination, there has been little investment in dog vaccination in Africa and there are few examples of local disease elimination on the continent. Recently the Tanzanian government embarked on a large-scale rabies elimination demonstration programme in Southern Tanzania based on annual mass dog vaccinations. As part of this programme three campaigns have been conducted on the island of Pemba (approximately 4000 dogs), yet rabies still persists in this isolated population.