KDHE, KVDL Host World Rabies Day Poster Competition 2025

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (KVDL) at Kansas State University in collaboration with Bavarian Nordic and the One Health Commission Bat Rabies Education Team (BRET) are hosting a poster contest to educate children about rabies prevention in Kansas.

Kansas students from kindergarten to 12th grade are encouraged to participate. Winning submissions will receive a donation to their school as well as a personal prize. Submissions are due Jan. 30, 2026. More information can be found on the KVDL website.

This contest aims to raise awareness about rabies, the impacts it can have on ecosystems and how to prevent rabies transmission. Rabies is a deadly but preventable disease that can be transmitted to people by infected mammals. Wildlife such as bats, which are the origin of most human rabies cases in the United States, still play an integral role in the Kansas ecosystem through pollination and eating crop-destroying insects.

Not all wild animals have rabies, but recognizing the potential for wildlife rabies reservoirs to transmit rabies to humans and pets is crucial for rabies transmission prevention.

By following the theme, “Act Now: You, Me, Community,” the posters submitted for this contest should highlight how individuals and communities can work together to prevent rabies.

For more information on rabies in Kansas, visit the KDHE rabies webpage.

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