World Rabies Day 2019

World Rabies Day is held each year on 28 September, the anniversary of Louis Pasteur’s death.

Created and co-ordinated annually by Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), World Rabies Day aims to increase awareness of the disease and its prevention.

The theme this year is ‘Rabies – Vaccinate to Eliminate’, which highlights the importance of vaccination in the goal of ending rabies deaths. The key messages for health care practitioners and members of the public are:

• to make individuals aware of when and how to obtain pre- and post-exposure rabies vaccinations
• to ensure that dogs are vaccinated
• to commit to the 2030 goal of eliminating human deaths from dog mediated rabies
• rabies is 99.9% fatal and 100% preventable.

World Rabies Day is a reminder to health care practitioners in the UK that rabies risks should be discussed in all relevant travel consultations.

The Travax rabies and rabies FAQ pages give information to health professionals on the disease and pre-exposure vaccination. The post-exposure rabies guidance page gives information on where to seek advice when rabies post-exposure management is required. Information for the general public is available on the fitfortravel website (https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/disease-prevention-advice/rabies)

Consult the relevant country pages for local specific risks.

Source: Travax, 19 August 2019