Time

Event

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Registration in the Arizona Ballroom of the Memorial Union and hang posters

17.30 h - 20.30 h.

Bienvenida y conferencia inaugural

Location: ASU University Club

Drinks and Appetizers provided

Keynote: 6-7pm

Title: The ORV Adventure Continues! From Flagstaff to the Rez for the World: the Search and History for a Practical Oral Rabies Vaccination for Free-Ranging Dogs

Scott Bender

Time

Event

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Location

ASU Memorial Union

Arizona Ballroom

Inscripción

Breakfast will be served at 8am

8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

Rabies in the Americas Conference Introduction

Presenter: Juan Antonio Montano Hirose

8:45 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Keynote Speaker: Paleo-disease Ecology Presenter: Carol L Chambers

9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Keynote Speaker: Rabies Origins

Presenter: Charles E Rupprecht

10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Keynote Questions

10.45 h - 11.00 h.

COFFEE BREAK + POSTER SESSION

11.00 h - 12.30 h.

Oral Presentations: Rabies Vaccines and Wildlife Rabies Interventions

11-11:20

The Cape Cod, MA Oral Rabies Vaccination Program: 32 Years of Raccoon Rabies Virus Variant Management

Presenter: Brian Bjorklund

United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services

11:20-11:40

Raccoon Rabies Is Back: Inside Québec's Largest Wildlife Rabies Response Since Elimination

Presenter: Marianne Gagnier

Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les Changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs

11:40 a.m. -12 p.m.

USDA National Rabies Management Program Update with Emphasis on Emergency Funding Activities

Presenter: Kathy Nelson

United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Rabies Management Program

12 p.m. - 12:20 p.m.

Exploiting Thermotolerance to Optimize Rabies Control Through Community-based Dog Vaccination Delivery and the Value of an Integrated Approach to Rabies Elimination

Presenter: Felix Lancaster

Washington State University

12:20 p.m. - 12:40 p.m.

Questions for presenters

12:40 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Sponsors Lunch

12:55 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Forty Years of Post-Marketing Safety Experience with the Purified Chick Embryo Cell Vaccine Rabipur/RabAvert for Rabies Prophylaxis

Presenter: Fernanda Salgado

Bioscript Group / Bavarian Nordic

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Round Table: Rabies Situation in the Americas

2:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

COFFEE BREAK + POSTER SESSION

2:45 p.m. - 5:05 p.m.

Oral Presentations: Rabies Vaccines and Wildlife Rabies Interventions

2:45 p.m. - 3:05 p.m.

Wildlife Rabies Surveillance: A Southern Perspective

Presenter: Dee Jones

Alabama Department of Public Health

3:05 p.m. - 3:25 p.m.

The perception of rarity: Wildlife rabies and other One Health challenges

Presenter: Aniruddah Belsare

Auburn University

3:25 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Linking serology and rabies case data: implications for raccoon rabies management

Presenter: Amy Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services

3:45 p.m. - 4:05 p.m.

ONRAB® revisited: Contemporary Characterisation of an Established Recombinant Adenoviral Vector Rabies Vaccine

Presenter: Thomas Müller

Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut

4:05 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.

Elimination of Arctic fox variant rabies from southern Ontario, Canada

Presenter: Tore Buchanan

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

4:25 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Community Vaccinator Programs to Strengthen Equitable Access to rabies prevention in Remote Canadian communities

Presenter: Danielle Julien

Public Health Agency of Canada

4:45 p.m. - 5:05 p.m.

Questions for presenters

18:00 - 19:30 h.

NARMP (By invitation only)

7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

International Steering Committee + Sponsors Dinner - Invitation Only (Location TBD)

Time

Event

7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Location

ASU Memorial Union

Arizona Ballroom

Inscripción

Breakfast will be served at 8am

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

In Memorium

Presenter: Charles E Rupprecht

8:30 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.

Oral Presentations: Diagnostics and Molecular Tools

8:30 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.

A challenging case of human rabies in the UK in 2025

Presenter: Charlotte Marsh

Animal and Plant Health Agency

8:50 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.

Automated Fluorescent Antibody Test Reading using an AI-based Workflow

Presenter: Lorraine McElhinney

Animal and Plant Health Agency

9:10 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Streamlining the molecular workflow for rabies testing

Presenter: Richard Spero

Redbud Labs

9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.

Using guano to assess rabies virus prevalence in the AZ-Mexico borderlands region prior to the arrival of the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus)

Presenter: Faith Walker

Northern Arizona University

9:50 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.

Direct Rapid Immunohistochemical Test for Strengthening Rabies Diagnostic Capacity in Brazil

Presenter: Fernanda Guedes

Instituto Pasteur de São Paulo

10:10 a.m. - 10:25 a.m.

Presenter Questions

10:25 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.

COFFEE BREAK + POSTER SESSION

10:40 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Oral Presentations: Diagnostics and Molecular Tools

10:40 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Development and Validation of ELISAs for Detection of Intrathecal Antibodies Against Rabies Virus Glycoprotein in Human CSF for Ante-Mortem Diagnosis

Presenter: Sandriana Ramos Silva

Instituto Pasteur de São Paulo

11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

Evaluation of non-invasive swab samples for Lyssavirus rabies raccoon variant diagnosis to support enhanced rabies surveillance

Presenter: Matthew Hopken

United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center

11:20 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.

Evaluation of PrimeStore Molecular Transport Medium for the Inactivation and Molecular Stabilization of Rabies Virus in Field Samples

Presenter: Arun Saravanakumar Annamalai

Kansas State University

11:40 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Enhanced Surveillance and Vaccination of Wildlife for Detection and Management of Raccoon Rabies Virus Variant — Omaha, Nebraska, October–November 2023

Presenter: Bryan Buss

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

12:00 p.m. - 12:20 p.m.

Presenter Questions

12:20 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Sponsors LUNCH

12:45 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Company Overview

SYN023 Anti-Rabies mAb Cocktail for Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis

Presenter Questions

Presenter: Eric Tsao

Synermore Biopharmaceuticals

1:30 p.m. - 3:10 p.m.

Moderators:

Oral Presentations: Rabies Situation in Domestic Animals

1:30 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.

Ecuador Free of Rabies by 2030

Presenter: Juan Gonzalez Victorica

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health

1:50 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.

Sociodemographic and dog ownership practices sustaining free roaming owned dogs in Nigeria and Sierra Leone

Presenter: Philip Mshelbwala

University of Sydney / Ahmadu Bello University

2:10 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Supporting Global Progress Towards 'Zero by 30': Updates from the United Against Rabies Forum

Presenter: Rachel Tidman

World Organisation for Animal Health

2:30 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.

From pulse to continuous: community-led delivery sustains rabies vaccination coverage and reduces costs in rural Tanzania

Presenter: Joel Changalucha

Ifakara Health Institute

2:50 p.m. - 3:10 p.m.

Questions for presenters

3:10 p.m. - 3:25 p.m.

COFFEE BREAK + POSTER SESSION

3:25 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

Moderators:

Oral Presentations: Reports on Rabies Situation In the Americas

3:25 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Rabies Under the Radar: How Many U.S. Human Cases Are We Missing?

Presenter: Ryan Wallace

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

3:45 p.m. - 4:05 p.m.

Many undetected human rabies cases in the United States: what about Canada and India?

Presenter: Alan Jackson

University of Calgary

4:05 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.

Estimate of 2025 Global Number of Dogs Receiving No Veterinary Care

Presenter: Ruth Steinberger

Spay FIRST!

4:25 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Clinical Evolution and Diagnostic Recognition of Human Rabies in the United States, 2000–2025

Presenter: Sumanth Cherukumilli

University of Maryland School of Medicine

4:45 p.m. - 5:05 p.m.

Suspected Paralytic Rabies in Haiti: A Case Report Highlighting Challenges to Timely Post-Exposure Prophylaxis

Presenter: Parlo Cesar St Vil

Ministry of Public Health and Population, Haiti

5:05 p.m. - 5:25 p.m.

Rabies Survivors in India: Insights from the World's Largest Cohort

Presenter: Reeta S. Mani

National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences

5:25 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

Presenter Questions

19.30 h - 22.30 h.

Veterinarians Dinner (By invitation only)

Time

Event

Location

ASU Memorial Union

Union Stage

7:30 - 8:00 a.m.

Inscripción

Breakfast will be served at 8am

8:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

Oral Presentations: Scientific Advancements

8:25 a.m. - 8:55 a.m.

RABORAL V-RGreen: Development of a Biodegradable Sachet for Oral Rabies Vaccination Programs

Presenter: Joanne Maki

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health

8:55 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

Neural Circuit and Neuroanatomical Dysfunction in Symptomatic Rabies: A Systematic Review of Structural, Functional, and Electrophysiological Evidence

Presenter: Flavia Leandra Soto Roque

Federal University of São Paulo

9:15 a.m. - 9:35 a.m.

Refinement of a bioluminescent mouse model for preclinical evaluation of rabies therapeutics

Presenter: Darryn Knobel

Universidad Ana G. Méndez

9:35 a.m. - 9:55 a.m.

Presenter Questions

9:55 a.m. - 10:05 a.m.

COFFEE BREAK

10:05 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Oral Presentations: Root Causes of Rabies Occurrence and Dispersal

10:05 a.m. - 10:25 a.m.

Rabies in carnivores not classified as reservoirs in the Americas

Presenter: Anne Justice-Allen

Arizona Game and Fish Department

10:25 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Phylogenetic investigation of raccoon rabies virus variant reveals deep viral diversity, historical translocations, and an abortive host shift in the United States

Presenter: Crystal Gigante

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

10:45 a.m. - 11:05 a.m.

The immune response and the geographical origin of dogs: a never-ending story

Presenter: Ad Vos

Ceva Santé Animale

11:05 a.m. - 11:25 a.m.

Multiple disease threats at the border facilitated by an invading species with ties to an invasive species

Presenter: David Bergman

United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services

11:25 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Fox Rabies Variants: The Potential for Introduction, Re-emergence, and Host Shift Events in Texas

Presenter: Kathy Parker

Texas Department of State Health Services

11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Presenter Questions

1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Bus transportation to the zoo

First bus leaves at 1pm

Second bus leaves at 1:30pm

The buses will leave from the Memorial Union at ASU. Transportation should take

1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Enjoy the zoo

4 p.m.

Go to Neely Education and Events Center building for Gala events

Cash Bar will be available from 5-10pm

4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Exclusive Use of Phoenix Zoo Carousel

17.30 h - 18.30 h.

Silent Auction

18:30 - 20:00 h.

GALA Dinner

10:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Buses go back to the Memorial Union

1st Bus 10:00 p.m.

2nd Bus 10:30 p.m.

Time

Event

Location:

Greek Leadership and Community Center

915 S. Rural Road

Tempe, AZ 85287-3008

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Moderator: Charles E Rupprecht

WEBINAR 'Fox Rabies - AZ-RITA2026'

Fox Rabies: a Global Paradigm

Presenter: Charles E. Rupprecht

Auburn University

One Continent, Two Realities: Fox Rabies in Europe

Presenter: Thomas Müller

Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut

From Dogs to Foxes and Back: The Shifting Ecology of Rabies Reservoirs in Israel, 1950–2026

Presenter: Yael Gozlan

Kimron Veterinary Institute, Israel Ministry of Agriculture

Bat-eared fox rabies in southern Africa

Presenter: Claude Sabeta

University of Pretoria

Arctic fox Rabies: Rabies in the far North

Presenter: Karsten Hueffer

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Arctic Fox Variant Rabies in Canada – Threat from the North

Presenter: Tore Buchanan

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Gray Fox Rabies In Texas: History and Management

Presenter: Michael J. Bodenchuk

Texas Wildlife Services / USDA APHIS

Gray Fox Rabies: A North American Challenge

Presenter: David Bergman

United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services

From the Global Paradigm of Fox Rabies to the Brazilian Experience with Cerdocyon thous: Challenges and Future Perspectives

Presenter: Silene Manrique Rocha

Ministry of Health of Brazil