Fighting Rabies

This book comprises a series of Chicago Tribune articles on the Lincoln Park Zoo's partnership with the Serengeti Health Initiative to eradicate the spread and infection rate of rabies in Tanzania. Complete with full-color photography of the villagers, their homes, and the surrounding African wildlife and landscapes, Fighting Rabies is a powerful and illustrative investigation into the efforts to eliminate a vicious disease in a ravaged community.

Over 70,000 people die every year from rabies infections, many of whom live in remote and impoverished areas of Africa. This epidemic—prevalent in communities close to wildlife but limited in their access to health and veterinary care—is particularly tragic because rabies can be significantly limited and even prevented through modern medicine. In fact, several developed countries are now completely rabies-free, while developing nations still face unnecessarily high rates of mortality from the disease.

Fighting Rabies explores the stories of the villagers who have been victimized by rabies, as well as the efforts of researchers from the Lincoln Park Zoo to inoculate dogs against the virus and rebuild the surrounding populations of wild animals. This is a captivating and moving story of bridging cultures for a greater good, and creating better living conditions for both people and the neighboring wildlife.