World Rabies Day observed

29 September, 2012

The World Rabies Day (WRD) was celebrated worldwide on September 28, and has been observed so since 2007 as one of the United Nations observances. The WRD is meant to raise awareness about the impact of rabies both on humans and animals, and ways to prevent the disease.

THE WRD on September 28 marked the death anniversary of Louis Pasteur, who with the collaboration of his colleagues, had developed the first efficacious rabies vaccine. Rich tributes were paid to Louis Pasteur on this day for his contribution to medical sciences.

The global observance of WRD is sponsored by the Alliance for Rabies Control (ARC) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDCP). Some other organisations like World Health Organization (WHO), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) also support the observance and organize various awareness events on the day.

According to the sponsors of the day, about 55,000 people die from rabies throughout the world every year, 95 percent of them being from Asia and Africa. As we know, rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system, and is often transmitted by infected dogs but there are other sources too.

“Rabies also kills farm animals. In Latin America, for example, hundreds of thousands of livestock die every year from rabies contracted from vampire bats. Livestock deaths from rabies occur throughout the world, but often go unreported," inform the sponsors of the WRD. The WRD logo represents the complexity of rabies, which can infect human beings, wildlife and domestic animals.