What is World Rabies Day?

World Rabies Day, on September 28th, brings healthcare experts together to raise rabies awareness. They also find ways to prevent and control this deadly disease.

This day, the United States and many other nations around the world observe this day. People around the world die from it, even though rabies is 100% preventable. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 59,000 people die from rabies each year. Over 99% of these deaths are caused by Rabid domestic dogs. About 95% of all rabies cases occur in Asia and Africa.

Rabies is a common viral disease of dogs and other mammals. Since rabies spreads from an animal's saliva to humans, the virus is extremely infectious. Rabies occurs on every continent except Antarctica. rabies prevention is a result of education, which is vital for rabies prevention.

The World Health Organization (WHO) collaborates with partners around the world to promote rabies prevention. Parts of the program include information about animal bites and animal behavior. They also teach that washing the wound after being bitten is also vital for survival.

Louis Pasteur and his colleagues developed a rabies vaccine in 1885. The vaccine kept dogs from getting rabies. In addition,, it prevented people from experiencing rabies symptoms after being bitten.