Benefit-cost analysis of raccoon rabies control in Ontario, Canada

Zoonotic diseases, particularly those originating in wildlife, pose significant public health and economic risks. Rabies, a viral zoonosis with near-100% case fatality in humans, is a prime example of such a threat, especially in regions like North America where wildlife—such as raccoons—serve as key reservoirs. This study assesses the economic efficiency of Ontario, Canada’s raccoon rabies control program, which combines oral rabies vaccination (ORV), trap-vaccinate-release (TVR), and surveillance strategies. Using a spatial agent-based epidemiological model, the study estimates the benefits and costs of intervention compared to a no-intervention scenario over the period 2015–2025. Benefits were quantified as avoided public health costs, including post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), animal testing (AT), and human exposure investigations (INVT), and converted to 2023 CAD. Results show that the intervention prevented significant economic losses, with benefit-cost ratios ranging from 1.5 to 14.16 depending on assumed rates of intervention necessity, confirming the program’s cost-effectiveness. This analysis not only supports continued investment in wildlife rabies control but also provides a scalable economic framework for other zoonotic disease management programs utilizing a One Health approach.Author summary: In 2015, Ontario faced the largest raccoon rabies outbreak in Canadian history. The Ontario government implemented control measures to contain the outbreak. Our research explores the economic benefit of intervention strategies used by modeling three scenarios: continued control measures until 2025, ending control measures in 2020, and no interventions at all. By estimating the human population at risk under each scenario, we monetized the benefits of intervention. Our findings indicate that continuing control measures until 2025 would prevent the most cases of rabies, significantly reducing healthcare costs associated to post-exposure prophylaxis, animal rabies testing, and human exposure investigations. The benefit-cost analysis shows that for every dollar spent on rabies control, between $1.5 CAD and $14 CAD in healthcare costs were saved, depending on the scenario. This translates into total savings ranging from $53 million CAD to $495 million CAD by 2025. This research underscores the value of sustained intervention efforts in managing wildlife diseases and protecting public health. It highlights how proactive management cand lead to substantial economic and health benefits, reinforcing the importance of the “One Health” approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health strategies.