Of love and other demons: depicting human rabies in Colombia

Human rabies has been described by various cultures in many countries around the world. Gabriel Garcia M?arquez's novel Of love and other demons recounts the story of a girl who, in colonial Colombia in the 18th century, was bitten by a rabid dog. This paper aims to review the general status of the disease in Colombia and interweave it with Garcia M?arquez's book. Developed countries have successfully controlled dog-mediated rabies virus transmission, whereas in some countries in Latin America wildlife and canine rabies are still an issue. Our approach suggests that although the measures that have been taken to mitigate dog-transmitted rabies have worked well in most parts of the world, greater efforts are required to control sylvatic rabies transmitted by bats or other mammals, as occurs in Colombia. Since developing countries are the most affected by the disease at present, transdisciplinary commitment between human and veterinary sectors is necessary to fight against rabies virus transmission.

Automated summary

This paper reviews the status of rabies in Colombia and its connection with Gabriel Garcia Márquez's novel. While developed countries have controlled dog-mediated rabies transmission, Latin American countries still face challenges with wildlife and canine rabies. Controlling sylvatic rabies transmitted by bats or other mammals requires greater efforts. Transdisciplinary commitment between human and veterinary sectors is crucial in fighting against rabies transmission, especially in developing countries.