World Rabies Day, on Sept. 8, Meant to Increase Rabies Awareness

In a Sept. 5 press release, Dr. Lorraine Corriveau, a wellness veterinarian at Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, explains what people should know about rabies and what course of action to take if they think they've been exposed to rabies. She says that "while it's true that the majority of rabies cases occur in wildlife, most exposure to humans occurs when they are bitten by a domestic animal that has been exposed to rabies. That is why current rabies vaccinations are so important for our pets."

In an effort to increase awareness, Sept. 8 has been designated the first World Rabies Day. Health organizations, state agencies and rabies experts from several countries will use the day to focus on increasing awareness of this deadly disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 55,000 people, primarily in Africa and Asia, die from rabies every year. This amounts to one person every 10 minutes. In 2006 there were nearly 7,000 cases of animal rabies reported in the United States. Most human exposure comes from domestic dogs that have encountered wildlife such as bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and wild dogs, all of which are hosts for rabies.

As a result, the idea of World Rabies Day was initiated by the CDC and the Alliance for Rabies Control, a charity based in the United Kingdom. The intent is to bring people, governments and agencies together for the purpose of preventing rabies in humans and controlling the disease in animals.

The CDC World Rabies Day Symposium and Expo scheduled for Friday, Sept. 7, in Atlanta, Ga., is just one of many events planned in at least 45 countries in observance of World Rabies Day on Sept. 8. In the U.S., at least 40 different events will take place, focused primarily at the nation's 26 colleges of veterinary medicine. The events will include vaccination clinics, runs, walks, concerts, festivals and educational seminars.

According to Corriveau, anyone who is bitten by any animal, whether wild or domestic, should consider it an emergency and get prompt medical attention. "Animal bites should also be reported to your local animal control so that proper quarantine measures can be taken if necessary," she said.

KidsHealth for Parents states that if a child is bitten by a rabid animal, he or she may develop a fever, headache, and general malaise. A trademark symptom of rabies is a twitching around the location of the bite. A high fever, agitation and hallucinations are also rabies symptoms. Even if rabies is not a concern, all animal bites can lead to infections and other medical problems.

In the event the bite is from a wild animal, the animal will be euthanized and immediately tested for rabies. If the bite is from a pet or domestic animal that's been vaccinated and appears to be healthy, the animal is typically quarantined for observation for 10 days.

Corriveau says that rabies vaccination for pets is the best prevention one can take. She also says it's important to "keep proper rabies and identification tags on your pets at all times. Report any stray animals or wildlife to your local animal control and do not try to capture an animal yourself. Consider any stray animal as a rabies risk."

Sources:

Press release, Know Signs of Rabies, Measures to Take: Veterinarian; http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/533083/

CDC; http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/a070831.htm

KidsHealth; http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/rabies.html