World Rabies Day

• 28 Sep 2022

Why in News?

World Rabies Day is observed every year on 28^th September to raise awareness about the world’s deadliest infectious disease and bring together partners to enhance prevention and control efforts worldwide.

• 2022 marks the 16^th World Rabies Day.

What do we need to know about World Rabies Day?

• About:
  • 28^th September marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur's death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine.
  • In 2007, the first World Rabies Day (WRD) was organised by the two founding partners namely:
    • Alliance for Rabies Control (ARC)
    • Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta (CDC)
• Theme 2022: 
  • The theme of World Rabies Day 2022 is: “One Health, Zero Death”.
  • The theme will highlight the connection of the environment with both people and animals.

What do we know about Rabies?

• About:
  • Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease.
  • It is caused by a Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) virus that is present in the saliva of a rabid animal (dog, cat, monkey, etc).
  • It is invariably transmitted following a bite of an infected animal that leads to deposition of the saliva and the virus in the wound.
  • Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal. The death invariably occurs in four days to two weeks due to cardio-respiratory failure.
    • In up to 99% of cases, domestic dogs are responsible for rabies virus transmission to humans.
  • The incubation period varies from 2–3 months but may vary from 1 week to 1 year, or rarely even more.
• Treatment:
  • It is important to remove the virus from the wound as early as possible by immediately washing the wound with water and soap followed by application of antiseptics that reduce/eliminate chances of nerve infection.
  • Rabies can be prevented by vaccinating pets, staying away from wildlife, and seeking medical care after potential exposures before symptoms start.
• Symptoms:
  • The first symptoms of rabies may be similar to flu and may last for a few days, which includes:
    • Fever, Headache, Nausea, Vomiting, Anxiety, Confusion, Hyperactivity, Difficulty swallowing, Excessive salivation, Hallucinations, Insomnia.
• India’s Initiatives for Cure Against Rabies:
  • National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030:
    • It is a multi-pronged strategy based on One Health Approach.
    • The concept of One Health recognizes that the health of people is closely related with the health of animals, plants and their shared environment.
      • In One Health approach, multiple sectors communicate and work together at the local, regional, national, and global levels with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes.
    • Mission: To achieve zero human deaths due to dog-mediated Rabies by 2030.
    • Principles:
      • Prevention: Introduce cost-effective public health intervention techniques to improve accessibility, affordability, and availability of post-exposure prophylaxis to all people in need.
      • Promotion: Improve understanding of rabies through advocacy, awareness, education and operational research.
      • Partnership: Provide coordinated support for the anti-rabies drive with the involvement of community, urban and rural civil society, government, private sectors and international partners.

Source: TOI