World Rabies Day 2021: Theme, History, Significance And Everything You Need To Know

World Rabies Day is observed every year on September 28, and this year's theme is ‘Rabies: Facts, not Fear’, which focuses on facts about rabies and eradicating myths or misconceptions.

Though fatal, rabies is preventable | Photo: Getty

New Delhi: World Rabies Day is observed annually on September 28, to raise awareness about rabies prevention and to highlight progress in defeating this horrifying disease. The day is observed on September 28 because it marks the death anniversary of Louis Pasteur, the French chemist and microbiologist who developed the first successful rabies vaccine.

Though fatal, rabies is preventable. It is a communicable disease that spreads to people and pets if they are bitten by a rabid animal. Dogs, bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes are the animals in which rabies is commonly found. 

What Is Rabies Disease?

Rabies is an infectious and a viral zoonotic disease (infection that can be transmitted naturally from vertebrate animals to humans) caused by the Rabies virus, which infects the central nervous system and causes progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. 

The two clinical forms of Rabies are Furious Rabies, characterised by hyperactivity and hallucinations, and Paralytic Rabies, characterised by paralysis and coma. If immediate medical care is not given to a person after a potential rabies exposure, the virus can reach the brain and result in death. In most cases, it is transmitted by the bite of an animal. 

Rabies can be avoided and deaths from the disease can be prevented by administering vaccines and medicines and with appropriate use of technologies. Yet, tens of thousands of people die each year because of rabies. The bite of an infected dog accounts for 99 per cent of these cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The rabies transmission cycle can be disrupted successfully if proper awareness is spread. Animals must be vaccinated and people should seek treatment when bitten, and should stay away from wildlife, to prevent rabies. 

About 59,000 deaths are caused annually in more than 150 countries, due to rabies. Africa and Asia are the continents in which 95 per cent of the cases occur. Half of the cases take place in children under 15 years of age, with rural poor populations suffering the most. WHO has started a new course named Rabies & One Health to provide knowledge about this disease. 

The Rabies Vaccine

Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), which consists of a dose of human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) and a rabies vaccine, is administered on the day of rabies exposure, followed by a dose of vaccine given again on days 3, 7 and 14. PEP should include a combination of both HRIG and rabies vaccine if a person has never been vaccinated against rabies previously. For people who have been previously vaccinated or are receiving pre-exposure vaccine, only the rabies vaccine should be administered. 

Why Is World Rabies Day Observed?

World Rabies Day, observed every year on September 28, is the first and only global day of action and awareness dedicated to rabies prevention. The global health observance was started in 2007, to raise awareness about rabies and bring together individuals, civil society and governments for enhancing prevention and control efforts worldwide, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. 

The day provides an opportunity to understand our efforts to control the deadly disease, to remind ourselves that the fight against it is still on, and to reflect on how it impacts the world.

One-fourth of the reported rabies cases in the United States are due to dog bites, received during international travel. Major health organisations which are working together to eliminate human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies by 2030 are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Department of Agriculture, the World Health Organisation, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

World Rabies Day 2021 Theme

September 28, 2021 will be the 15th World Rabies Day, and this year's theme is "Rabies: Facts, not Fear". The theme focuses on facts about rabies and eradicating myths or misconceptions. 

Doubts and misconceptions about vaccines are not new and it’s no different when it comes to rabies vaccines. This year's World Rabies Day theme aims to share facts about rabies, and remove fear by dispelling misinformation and myths. 

The idea is to ensure everyone is educated that rabies is a disease that is 99 per cent fatal, yet 100 per cent preventable.

Fake news and how this can negatively affect our rabies elimination efforts, and vaccine hesitancy and the misconceptions about vaccinations are the current global issues that affect rabies elimination, and the theme intends to remind the world of these issues.

In this year's theme, the word 'fear' has three meanings. The first meaning explains the general fear caused by this disease, the fear experienced by people when they encounter rabid animals, and the fear felt by people who live in communities plagued by rabies. The second meaning explains the symptoms of fear that may be experienced by people when they are infected by rabies. The third meaning relates to the fear caused by fake news or myths, which instills in them the fear of getting themselves as well as their animals vaccinated.