World Rabies Day: Theme, History, Causes, Symptoms, and Cure

Every year on September 28, World Rabies Day is commemorated with the primary goal of increasing public awareness of rabies. The purpose of the day is to encourage continuing efforts worldwide to prevent and control rabies. 

Rabies is a viral infection that can spread from animals to people. The rabies virus, which is a member of the Lyssavirus genus, is what causes rabies infection. Raising awareness, promoting vaccination, advocating for control measures, and commemorating achievements are among the main objectives of World Rabies Day. 

Theme 2023 : 

The phrase "Rabies: All for 1, One Health for All" will be the focus of World Rabies Day in 2023. This year’s theme highlights that One Health is not for a selected few but for everyone.

It emphasizes how equality and cooperation is important in the fight against rabies. In order to meet the One Health objective of eradicating rabies by 2030, it also underlines the necessity of strengthening comprehensive health systems.

History : 

Louis Pasteur, a French chemist and microbiologist who created the first rabies vaccine, passed away on September 28. As a result, September 28 is recognized annually as World Rabies Day. Every year, the Global Alliance for Rabies Control selects a different topic for World Rabies Day. Many topics have been chosen to highlight various aspects of the illness and treatments for it.

Causes :

All mammals, including humans, can contract the viral illness rabies. The most typical method of transmission is through an infected animal's bite, although it can also spread through contact with its saliva.

Symptoms : 

Depending on the species of animal, the symptoms vary. 

In dogs, the early symptoms of rabies may include restlessness, fever, and loss of appetite. As the disease progresses, dogs may develop seizures, paralysis, and aggression.

Although rabies symptoms in people might vary, they typically develop through a number of stages:

Incubation period: Between being exposed to the virus and the onset of symptoms is the incubation period. Although it can change, it often lasts for a few weeks to months.

Prodromal Stage: Symptoms including a fever, a headache, and discomfort are present at this stage. It frequently lasts a few days.

Acute neurologic stage : The virus affects the central nervous system, which results in severe symptoms. Agitation, hallucinations, trouble swallowing (which can result in a dread of water known as hydrophobia), paralysis, and high sensitivity to light and sound are a few of these.

Coma and Death: As soon as clinical symptoms emerge, rabies is nearly always lethal. Death typically happens a few days to a few weeks after symptoms arrive, mostly due to respiratory diseases. 

Cure : 

Once rabies has taken hold, there is no treatment available. However, those who have been bitten or exposed to rabies can receive the post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) vaccine. If given soon after exposure, the PEP vaccination is quite successful at preventing rabies. Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal. Less than 20 cases of human survival from clinical rabies have been documented.