According to the World Health Organisation, over 20,000 deaths happen in India each year due to rabies. Rabies is a disease that is transmitted from animals to humans and is also known as a zoonotic disease. It is caused by the rabies virus, of the Lyssavirus genus, within the family Rhabdoviridae. The most common reservoir of the virus is the domestic dog with more than 99% of human deaths caused by dog-mediated rabies. For rabies, fears, misconceptions, and misinformation related to the disease date back hundreds of years, that’s why it has become important to spread the right awareness about it.

Theme

World Rabies Day is marked on September 28 to spread awareness about rabies and to enhance prevention and control efforts across the world. The theme for World Rabies Day 2021 is “Rabies: Facts, not Fear”.  

September 28 marks the death anniversary of Louis Pasteur, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine. In 2007, the first World Rabies Day (ERD) was organized by the two founding partners namely Alliance for Rabies Control (ARC) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta (CDC).

Rabies causes

It is caused by the rabies virus and is spread via the saliva of infected animals. The infected animal can spread the virus by biting another animal or a person. In certain rare cases, rabies can spread when infected saliva gets into an open wound or the mucous membranes like the mouth or eyes. This can occur if an infected animal were to lick at an open cut on your skin.

Symptoms

Therefore, a person who is at risk of contracting rabies should take rabies vaccinations for protection. The first symptoms of rabies may be similar to flu and may last for a few days. Fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, confusion, hyperactivity, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, hallucinations, insomnia, partial paralysis are some of the symptoms.

Animals that can transmit the virus

It is said that any mammal can transmit the rabies virus. Some of the animals that can transmit the rabies virus are cats, cows, Dogs, Ferrets, Goats, Horses, and wild animals are Bats, Foxes, Monkeys, etc. 

Facts are the only way to beat fake news, so on this Rabies Day, help to share the accurate facts and ensure the correct and updated information.