World Rabies Day - 8 September 2007

The first World Rabies Day will occur on 8 September 2007. This initiative involves a wide range of professionals from human and animal health organisations, and corporate and non-profit partners. The goal is to support human rabies prevention and animal rabies control through awareness and resources. The initiative was created by researchers and professionals who formed the Alliance for Rabies Control in 2006.

Rabies is a neglected global public health problem. It is a animal disease of terrestrial mammals and bats transmitted to humans mainly, but not only, through the bite of an infected dog. More than 3 billion people are thought to be at risk of rabies, especially in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. There are about 55,000 human rabies deaths per year, mainly occurring in Asia and Africa, and approximately 30-50% of the cases are in children.

The last case of classical human rabies acquired within the United Kingdom was in 1902. Since then there have been at least 25 deaths from classical human rabies in the UK, but all of these were acquired abroad. All but one of these cases was infected through a dog bite. The last case of terrestrial animal rabies within the United Kingdom was in 1922. A rabies-like virus, the European Bat Lyssavirus 2, caused the death of a licensed bat handler in Scotland in 2002 [1].

In the World Health Organization European region in 2006, there were 9,172 reported cases of animal rabies: 2,984 domestic animals, 6,152 wildlife, and 34 bats.  There were two human cases reported in 2006 [2].

It is important to raise awareness in relation to rabies to residents and travellers to rabies endemic countries. Rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease. All persons with a possible exposure to rabies should seek prompt medical attention.

References

Health Protection Agency. World rabies day. Health Protection Report. 2007:1 (36):7 September 2007. On-line resource, accessed 7 September 2007. Available at: http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpr/news/default.htm#rabies

De Martin S.  First World Rabies Day, 8 September 2007. Euro Surveill 2007;12(9):E070906.4. On-line resource, accessed 7 September 2007. Available at: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ew/2007/070906.asp#4

Links

Alliance for Rabies Control: http://www.rabiescontrol.org/index_en.php

NaTHNaC Health Information Sheet. Rabies: http://www.nathnac.org/pro/factsheets/rabies.htm

World Rabies Day website: http://www.worldrabiesday.org/about_rabies_en.php

Rabies - Bulletin - Europe. Rabies Information System of the WHO Collaboration Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research: http://www.who-rabies-bulletin.org

Health Protection Agency. Information on rabies:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/rabies/menu.htm

World Health Organization. Information on rabies: http://www.who.int/rabies/en/