Disease dynamics across political borders: the case of rabies in Israel and the surrounding countries.

An eco-historical analysis facilitated the identification of the socio-political, demographical and environmental changes that have affected the distribution and abundance of vertebrates living in Israeli and Palestinian territories, their pathogens and the extent of human - animal contacts, all contributing to the risk of rabies, leading to three deaths in the late 90's. There are indications that the implementation of uncoordinated control strategies with a lack of an ecological perspective on one side of the border, such as the destruction of the main reservoirs, led to the emergence of a more potent reservoir coming from the other side, and the creation of an additional on yet to be identified. We analyze the lessons of historical mistakes, aiming at future regional control of the disease.