On September 28th, World Rabies Day brings healthcare experts together to spread awareness about rabies. They also find ways to prevent and control this deadly disease.
Even though rabies is 100% preventable, people around the world still die from it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 59,000 people die from rabies each year. Rabid domestic dogs cause over 99% of these deaths. About 95% of all rabies cases occur in Asia and Africa.
Rabies is a contagious viral disease of dogs and other mammals. Since rabies transmits through an animal’s saliva to humans, the virus is extremely dangerous. Rabies occurs on every continent except Antarctica. Education is vital for rabies prevention.
The World Health Organization (WHO) works with partners around the world teaching rabies prevention. Part of the program includes teaching how to avoid animal bites and reading animal behavior. They also teach that washing the wound after getting bitten is crucial for survival.
In 1885, Louis Pasteur and his colleagues developed a rabies vaccination. The vaccine protected dogs from getting rabies. Additionally, it prevented individuals from getting symptoms of rabies after getting bitten.
In 2007, the Global Alliance for Rabies Control established World Rabies Day to raise awareness and increase prevention of the disease worldwide. The United Nations, along with the Centers for Disease Control, the World Organisation for Animal Health and many others endorse the annual observance. The organization selected September 28th to commemorate the death of Louis Pasteur.
This year’s World Rabies Day theme is: “Rabies: Facts, not Fear”.
Source: www.who.int
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