The rabies situation in red fox and raccoon dog in Lithuania in the period 1996–2005 and the virus distribution during the long-term rabies persistence period in these populations, were described. In the period of the present investigation, the number of hunted foxes increased fourfold (4051 animals were hunted in 1996 and 16949 in 2003), while the number of hunted raccoon dogs increased more than eight times (577 in 1996 versus 5215 in 2003), but that had a minimal influence on the real rabies situation in the country: 4404 cases among wild animals were registered in all districts of Lithuania (45% in red fox population and 41% in raccoon dogs). The situation remained most dangerous in the red fox population in which in the last 5 years a 35–68% increasing tendency of rabies cases remained. The number of rabies cases in the raccoon dog population were 10% less, but the tendency was increasing by 78–118%. The highest prevalence of fox rabies cases was registered in the Vilnius and Alytus counties (389 and 317 cases, respectively) and the lowest in the Telšiai and Marijampolė counties (45 and 102). In the red fox and raccoon dog populations, rabies cases were tested during the whole year in ascending order. In the March–May period there were diagnosed 26.9% of foxes and 21.7% of raccoon dogs, versus 18.7% of foxes and 28.1% of raccoon dogs in the October–November period.

Keywords: Lithuania, rabies, epidemiology, wildlife