World Rabies Day

World Rabies Day

September 28 is World Rabies Day. World Rabies Day is a global health observance started in 2007. This day was created to raise awareness about the world’s deadliest infectious disease. And, to bring together partners to enhance prevention and control efforts worldwide. The day is observed each year on September 28.

World Rabies Day is an opportunity to reflect on how rabies impacts your community and other communities around the world. Rabies is still present in many parts of the United States. It is mostly found in wildlife. Because of high vaccination levels in dogs and cats in the U.S., rabies in pets is relatively rare. The same is true in other domesticated animals.

Today, safe and efficacious animal and human vaccines are among the important tools that exist to eliminate human deaths from rabies. Awareness is the key driver for success of communities to engage in effective rabies prevention. Wear an animal paw prints ribbon pin to remind others to vaccinate their cats and dogs on World Rabies Day.

Rabies in Countries Outside the US

However, rabies in dogs is common in many other countries. In fact, roughly a quarter of reported human rabies deaths among people in the United States result from dog bites they received during international travel. The best way to protect yourself, your family, and your pets is to keep dogs and cats up to date on their rabies vaccinations. You can also protect yourself and your family by traveling smartly. This includes avoiding contact with dogs and other animals that may have rabies when you travel outside the country. Find out the rabies status of any country you may be visiting using CDC’s interactive assessment site.

A Preventable Disease – Learn More on World Rabies Day

While rabies is a 100% preventable disease, nearly 60,000 people die from the disease around the world each year. World Rabies Day is an opportunity to reflect on our efforts to control this deadly disease. It is also a time to remind ourselves that the fight against rabies is not yet over. Major health organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are working together to eliminate rabies deaths in people that are caused by dogs by 2030.

Zero Deaths

The world has the vaccines, medicines, tools, and technologies to break the cycle of one of the oldest diseases.

Zero by 30: Global Strategic Plan for the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030 is an ambitious document with achievable targets. It is aligned with the new NTD road map that prioritizes integrated interventions and mainstreaming of NTD programs within national health systems.

The integrated approaches advocated in both the Global Strategic Plan for rabies and the road map are relevant, as they show the importance of working together optimally and collaboratively in face of numerous challenges, as experienced during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

It is therefore critical to work with stakeholders, champions, and people at community, local, national, and global levels to rebuild and strengthen health systems and rabies control programs.

By collaborating and joining forces, engaging communities and committing to sustain dog vaccination, rabies can be eliminated.