About RITA

RITA Inc. is an international not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, with a professional focus upon rabies. The Rabies in the Americas (RITA) conference is an international scientific meeting that has been held annually by RITA Inc. since 1990. The focus of the RITA conference is the presentation and discussion of recent developments in rabies research, surveillance, control and prevention. Conference participants include researchers, academics, regulators, students, and medical, public health, and veterinary professionals, among others. The RITA conference provides unparalleled opportunities for learning, regarding the latest developments in the field of rabies, for networking with colleagues from around the world, and for raising the profile of sponsoring agencies on a global stage. As rabies is a zoonotic disease, this conference is an excellent forum for the productive interactions among scientists, physicians, veterinarians, public health officials, wildlife biologists and other biomedical professionals, promoted by the One World, One Health philosophy.

Since the first conference held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, RITA has grown from a small meeting of like-minded colleagues to a well-recognized, international event of value to all in the rabies field. RITA is now the longest running, open, independent and largest annual conference specific to rabies in the world. Although focused upon the region, RITA attracts between 250-400 delegates from across the globe, not just from the Americas. Other meetings of importance are often held in tandem with RITA, such as the North American Rabies Management Plan (NARMP) and the REDIPRA (Reuniones de Directores de los Programas Nacionales de Control de Rabia en América Latina).

The hosting of the RITA conference has been shared amongst Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Dominican Republic and the United States for the past 30 years.