Rabies in the Guiana Shield

As part of the Guiana Shield, Guyana (ex-British Guiana), Suriname (ex-Dutch Guiana), and French Guiana have a rich and shared history. This important forested region plays a major role in biological conservation in the Neotropics. Indeed, the Guianas region remains largely pristine and inaccessible compared to other Amazonian countries. The region is characterized by high levels of endemism and species richness, with a high priority for the conservation of Amazonian biodiversity. Microbe richness is also elevated, with the associated diversity of zoonotic agents and reservoirs. This review describes the historical and current sanitary situation of rabies in these three contiguous countries. Surprisingly, rabies reports are quite recent, with the first available information dating back only to 1953. Despite sociodemographic differences, a quite similar ecology of the disease is observed in this area, explained by similarities in biogeography, land management, and use of natural resources. Given this essential ecological comparability, with rabies dynamics driven by vampire bats, a regional approach towards common disease surveillance, prevention and control would be ideal.