{
  "abstract": "Dog-mediated rabies remains a preventable cause of mortality in children, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where free-roaming dogs are common. While the WHO-led “Zero by 30” strategy emphasises mass dog vaccination and access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), less attention has been paid to the behavioural and communication pathways that shape children’s vulnerability. This Viewpoint proposes a conceptual distinction between vulnerability to dog bites and vulnerability to rabies following exposure. Conflating these risks may contribute to diffuse messaging and missed prevention opportunities. This Viewpoint argues for a differentiated child-facing and adult-facing interventions, with schools positioned as adaptable platforms for integrating safe behaviour, disclosure, and timely care-seeking within existing systems. Aligning behavioural, educational, and biomedical components more explicitly may strengthen implementation of global rabies elimination strategies and reduce paediatric deaths.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta School of Health Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India"
  ],
  "article_type": "Viewpoints",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Harish Kumar Tiwari"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bpmqbp4ksjehr.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pntd.0014680",
  "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014680",
  "id": "bpmqbp4ksjehr",
  "issns": [
    "1935-2735"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014680",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2406|Rabies epidemiology and control"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Immunology/Vaccination and immunization"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Animals/Vertebrates/Amniotes/Mammals/Dogs"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Behavior/Animal behavior"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animal behavior"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animals/Vertebrates/Amniotes/Mammals/Dogs"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Immunology/Vaccination and immunization"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Infectious diseases/Viral diseases/Rabies"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Infectious diseases/Zoonoses/Rabies"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Tropical diseases/Neglected tropical diseases/Rabies"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Pediatrics/Child health"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Public and occupational health/Child health"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Public and occupational health/Preventive medicine/Prophylaxis/Post-exposure prophylaxis"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Public and occupational health/Preventive medicine/Vaccination and immunization"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/People and places/Population groupings/Age groups/Children"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/People and places/Population groupings/Families/Children"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Psychology/Behavior/Animal behavior"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Sociology/Education/Schools"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7204883296",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014680&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-01",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bpmqbp4ksjehr.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:02Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pntd.0014680",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014680"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:immunology",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    },
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:animal behavior",
      "subfield": "zoology-behaviour"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "plos:public and occupational health",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Distinguishing dog-bite and rabies vulnerability in children to strengthen global elimination efforts",
  "title_text": "Distinguishing dog-bite and rabies vulnerability in children to strengthen global elimination efforts",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bpmqbp4ksjehr",
  "venue": "PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases",
  "versions": []
}