Incidence data. Data on patients with animal-bite injuries from hospitals and dispensaries, case reports of rabid animals from livestock offices, and community-based surveillance activities were used as primary sources [18] . Visits were made to investigate incidents reported in 2002 to 2006 involving suspected rabid animals. Cases were mapped at the site of the incident (wherever possible) and villagers interviewed to evaluate the status of the biting animal, determine its case history, and identify its source of exposure and subsequent contacts (if known). The same procedure was exhaustively followed for all associated exposures/cases. Interviews were conducted with veterinary officers, local community leaders, and livestock field officers in attendance, resulting in an active reporting network. Cases were diagnosed on epidemiological and clinical criteria, adapting the ''six-step'' method through retrospective interviews with witnesses [37] . Rabies was suspected if an animal displayed clinical signs [37] and either (a) disappeared or died within 10 days, or (b) was killed, but had a history of a bite by another animal or was of unknown origin. Additional clinical criteria for wild carnivores (;10% of human exposures were caused by wild animals and ;10% of inferred transmission events involved rabid wildlife) included tameness, loss of fear of humans, diurnal activity (for nocturnal species), and unprovoked biting of objects and animals without feeding. When multiple incidents involving suspected rabid wildlife were reported on the same/consecutive days within neighbouring homesteads, we assumed a single animal was involved.