Science with purpose: research that strengthens our impact
At WVS, compassion guides our work, but it’s our commitment to understanding that helps us go further. Through research and data, we aim to deepen our knowledge of what works, why it works, and how we can do better for animals and communities around the world.
Whether we're studying the effectiveness of rabies vaccination campaigns or exploring ways to improve training for veterinary professionals, we’re building an evidence base that helps us, and others, make more informed, impactful decisions. Our field teams collect real-time data using the WVS App, ensuring that our programmes are continually shaped by insights from the ground.
This work is only possible through meaningful collaborations. We partner with local governments, academic institutions, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to co-produce research that is practical, scalable, and locally relevant. Looking ahead, we’re committed to supporting early-career researchers in rabies-endemic regions through fellowships and training opportunities, helping grow the next generation of experts who will lead the way in tackling disease and improving animal welfare.
Explore our recent research below to see how we’re putting evidence into action.
2025
Rayner EL, Bastola R, Bedre S, Gibson AD, Gamble L, MacKay JRD. ‘No one cares about the animal like me.’ Indian veterinarians’ experiences of improving animal welfare through Continuing Professional Development. Animal Welfare 2025; 34. DOI:10.1017/awf.2025.3.
Fielding HR, Fernandes KA, V.R A, et al. Managing free-roaming domestic dog populations using surgical sterilisation: a randomised controlled trial. Sci Rep 2025; 15. DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-98990-1.
Rayner EL, Kumar A, Airikkala-Otter I, et al. Evaluation of the longer-term impacts on working practices of veterinarians in India after attending a canine surgical neutering training programme. Animal Welfare 2025; 34. DOI:10.1017/awf.2025.30.
2024
Tazawa K, Lewis AN, Lohr F, et al. Outcomes of a Short-Duration, Large-Scale Canine Rabies Vaccination Campaign in Central Cambodia. Animals 2024; 14. DOI:10.3390/ani14182654.
2023
Fielding HR, Fernandes KA, Amulya VR, et al. Capturing free-roaming dogs for sterilisation: A multi-site study in Goa, India. Prev Vet Med 2023; 218. DOI:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2023.105996.
Rayner EL, Airikkala-Otter I, Mellanby RJ, et al. Assessing the effect of a canine surgical-neutering educational programme on the knowledge and confidence of Indian veterinary participants. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10. DOI:10.3389/fvets.2023.942890.
Ross YB, Vo CD, Bonaparte S, et al. Measuring the impact of an integrated bite case management program on the detection of canine rabies cases in Vietnam. Front Public Health 2023; 11. DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1150228.
Schrodt CA, Dilius P, Gibson AD, et al. Electronic application for rabies management improves surveillance, data quality, and investigator experience in Haiti. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10. DOI:10.3389/fvets.2023.1052349.
2022
Gibson AD, Yale G, Corfmat J, et al. Elimination of human rabies in Goa, India through an integrated One Health approach. Nat Commun 2022; : 1–13.
Puente- Arévalo Md a, Motta P, Durr S, et al. Ranging patterns and factors associated with movement in free- roaming domestic dogs in urban Malawi. Ecol Evol 2022; 12: 1–23.
Yale G, Lopes M, Isloor S, et al. Review of Oral Rabies Vaccination of Dogs and Its Application in India. Viruses 2022; 14.
Corfmat J, Gibson AD, Mellanby RJ, et al. Community attitudes and perceptions towards free-roaming dogs in Goa, India. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 2022; 00: 1–17. Read summary via the WVS Academy.
Evans MJ, Gibson A, Fielding H, et al. Free-roaming dog population dynamics in Ranchi, India. Res Vet Sci 2022; 143: 115–23.
Freuling CM, Busch F, Vos A, et al. Oral rabies vaccination of dogs—Experiences from a field trial in Namibia. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16: e0010422.
2021
Mazeri S, Burdon JL, Mayer D, et al. Using data-driven approaches to improve delivery of animal health care interventions for public health. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118: e2003722118.
Kirkhope RT, Gibson AD, Augustin PD, et al. Bite Injuries among Vaccination Staff Participating in a Mass Canine Rabies Vaccination Campaign, Haiti 2016–2017. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2021; : 1–8.
Monroe B, Ludder F, Dilius P, et al. Every dog has its data: evaluation of a technology-aided canine rabies vaccination campaign to implement a microplanning approach. Front Public Health 2021; 9. DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2021.757668.
Sargison ND, Mazeri S, Gamble L, et al. Conjunctival mucous membrane colour as an indicator for the targeted selective treatment of haemonchosis and of the general health status of peri-urban smallholder goats in southern Malawi. Prev Vet Med 2021; 186: 105225.
2020
Bonwitt J, Bonaparte S, Blanton J, et al. Oral bait preferences and feasibility of oral rabies vaccination in Bangladeshi dogs. Vaccine 2020; 38: 5021–6.
Gigante CM, Yale G, Condori RE, et al. Portable Rabies Virus Sequencing in Canine Rabies Endemic Countries Using the Oxford Nanopore MinION. Viruses 2020; 12: 1255.
Fielding HR, Gibson AD, Gamble L, et al. Timing of reproduction and association with environmental factors in female free-roaming dogs in southern India. Prev Vet Med 2020; 187: 105249.
Sánchez-Soriano C, Gibson AD, Gamble L, et al. Implementation of a mass canine rabies vaccination campaign in both rural and urban regions in southern Malawi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14: e0008004.
Gibson AD, Wallace RM, Rahman A, et al. Reviewing Solutions of Scale for Canine Rabies Elimination in India. Trop Med Infect Dis 2020; 5: 1–22.
Marron O, Thomas G, Burdon Bailey JL, et al. Factors associated with mobile phone ownership and potential use for rabies vaccination campaigns in southern Malawi. Infect Dis Poverty 2020; 9: 1–11.
2019
Meunier N V., Gibson AD, Corfmat J, et al. A comparison of population estimation techniques for individually unidentifiable free-roaming dogs. BMC Vet Res 2019; 15: 1–10.
Gibson AD, Yale G, Vos A, et al. Oral bait handout as a method to access roaming dogs for rabies vaccination in Goa, India: A proof of principle study. Vaccine X 2019; 1: 100015.
Gibson AD, Mazeri S, Yale G, et al. Development of a non-meat-based, mass producible and effective bait for oral vaccination of dogs against rabies in Goa State, India. Trop Med Infect Dis 2019; 4: 1–13.
Rupprecht CE, Kuzmin I V., Yale G, Nagarajan T, Meslin FX. Priorities in applied research to ensure programmatic success in the global elimination of canine rabies. Vaccine 2019; : 1–8.
Yale G, Gibson AD, Mani RS, et al. Evaluation of an immunochromatographic assay as a canine rabies surveillance tool in Goa, India. Viruses 2019; 11: 1–10.
Wallace RM, Undurraga EA, Gibson A, et al. Estimating the effectiveness of vaccine programs in dog populations. Epidemiol Infect 2019; 147: e247.
Adrien J, Georges Y, Augustin P, et al. A Multipartner Response to Prevent a Binational Rabies Outbreak — Anse-à-Pitre, Haiti, 2019. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2019; 68: 707–9.
Evans MJ, Burdon Bailey JL, Lohr FE, et al. Implementation of high coverage mass rabies vaccination in rural Uganda using predominantly static point methodology. Veterinary Journal 2019; 249: 60–6.
Mandra A, Moran D, PV S, et al. Rabies Outbreak Investigation — Pedernales, Dominican Republic, 2019. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Rabies 2019; 68: 704–6.
Sánchez-Soriano C, Gibson AD, Gamble L, et al. Development of a high number, high coverage dog rabies vaccination programme in Sri Lanka. BMC Infect Dis 2019; 19: 1–12.
Gamble L, Gibson A, Mazeri S, de C Bronsvoort BM, Handel I, Mellanby RJ. Development of non-governmental organisation-academic partnership to tackle rabies in Africa and Asia. Journal of Small Animal Practice 2019; 60: 18–20.
Rayner EL, Airikkala-Otter I, Bacon HJ, Walters HM, Gamble L, Langford FM. Assessment of an Educational Intervention on the Knowledge and Attitudes of Indian National Veterinarians to Animal Welfare and Euthanasia. J Vet Med Educ 2019; 47: 1–16.
Rayner E, Airikkala-Otter I, Susheelan A, et al. Prevalence of skin wounds in working donkeys in Bukombe, Tanzania. Veterinary Record 2019; : vetrec-2019-105399. Read summary via the WVS Academy.
Mazeri S, Gibson AD, de Clare Bronsvoort BM, et al. Sociodemographic factors which predict low private rabies vaccination coverage in dogs in Blantyre, Malawi. Veterinary Record 2019; 184: 281.
Weese JS, Mshelbwala PP, Lohr F. Clostridium difficile shedding by healthy dogs in Nigeria and Malawi. Zoonoses Public Health 2019; 66: 618–21.
2018
Mazeri S, Gibson AD, Meunier N, et al. Barriers of attendance to dog rabies static point vaccination clinics in Blantyre, Malawi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12. DOI:10.1371/journal.pntd.0006159.
Burdon Bailey JL, Gamble L, Gibson AD, et al. A rabies lesson improves rabies knowledge amongst primary school children in Zomba, Malawi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12: e0006293.
Gibson AD, Mazeri S, Lohr F, et al. One million dog vaccinations recorded on mHealth innovation used to direct teams in numerous rabies control campaigns. PLoS One 2018; 13: e0200942.
Cleaton JM, Wallace RM, Crowdis K, et al. Impact of community-delivered SMS alerts on dog-owner participation during a mass rabies vaccination campaign, Haiti 2017. Vaccine 2018; 36: 2321–5.
Rayner EL, Airikkala-Otter I, Susheelan A, et al. Prevalence of mutilations and other skin wounds in working donkeys in Tamil Nadu, India. Veterinary Record 2018; 183: 450.
Airikkala-Otter I, Gamble L, Mazeri S, et al. Investigation of short-term surgical complications in a low-resource , high- volume dog sterilisation clinic in India. BMC Vet Res 2018; : 1–8.
Meunier N V, Panti A, Mazeri S, et al. Randomised trial of perioperative tramadol for canine sterilisation pain management. Veterinary Record 2019; : vetrec-2018-105009.
Rupprecht CE, Bannazadeh Baghi H, Del Rio Vilas VJ, et al. Historical, current and expected future occurrence of rabies in enzootic regions. Rev Sci Tech 2018; 37: 729–39.
2017
Barbosa Costa G, Ludder F, Monroe B, et al. Barriers to attendance of canine rabies vaccination campaigns in Haiti, 2017. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 67: 2679–91.
2016
Gibson AD, Handel IG, Shervell K, et al. The Vaccination of 35,000 Dogs in 20 Working Days Using Combined Static Point and Door-to-Door Methods in Blantyre, Malawi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10: e0004824.
2015
Gibson AD, Ohal P, Shervell K, et al. Vaccinate-assess-move method of mass canine rabies vaccination utilising mobile technology data collection in Ranchi, India. BMC Infect Dis 2015; 15: 589.
Keep discovering
Our online platform, the WVS Academy, provides vets across the world with access to high quality, engaging, relevant and peer-reviewed resources to guide best clinical practice in any setting. Find out more.
