REGION – World Rabies Day (WRD) takes place every year on September 28 to raise awareness about rabies and bring together partners to enhance prevention and control efforts worldwide. If a rabies bite is left untreated in both animals and humans, it is fatal. The best way to protect families, pets, and communities is to make sure pets are kept up to date on their rabies vaccinations, and animal bites are properly treated.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rabies is 100% preventable, yet more than 59,000 people die around the world each year. Rabies is found all over the world; it lives in wild animals and can be transmitted through a bite to humans and pets. The best way to prevent rabies in pets is to make sure that they are current on their rabies vaccine. The best way to make sure that humans are safe is to report bites from wild animals and pets to your local health department. All animal bites from a wild or domestic animal need to be reported to the local health department within 24 hours. The local health department will provide guidance on rabies treatment and what to watch for in pets.
While there are very effective methods to prevent and treat rabies, greater awareness and understanding of the disease and the risks is necessary to eliminate this disease globally. Now, more than ever, our local and global communities must come together to eliminate this threat. Together, we can use the tools of vaccination, awareness, and education to eliminate this deadly disease for the people and animals we love. World Rabies Day represents just one step in the global strategy, and we encourage our communities to take steps towards the elimination of rabies. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Global Alliance for Rabies Control).
For more information on rabies, or to report an animal bite, contact any of the Central Michigan District Health Department locations or visit our website at www.cmdhd.org.
