{"id":1053,"date":"2020-09-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.daysmart.com\/pet\/blog\/world-rabies-day\/"},"modified":"2024-12-24T13:31:47","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T13:31:47","slug":"world-rabies-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysmart.com\/pet\/blog\/world-rabies-day\/","title":{"rendered":"World Rabies Day is September 28 – Make Sure Pets Are Protected"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Do you know what the deadliest disease on earth is? Think about it for a second and see if you can come up with the answer. It may not be what you expect.<\/p>\n

It has a 99.9% fatality rate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It causes severe neurological discomfort and disease in the brain.<\/p>\n

5.5 billion people live at a daily risk of getting it.<\/p>\n

So, what is this insane disease?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s rabies!<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right. This 100% avoidable, preventable disease kills nearly 100% of people who contract it. One bite from a rabid dog could end a life.<\/p>\n

Rabies affects people around the world, found on every continent but Antarctica. So to retaliate, many major health organizations bonded together with a common mission. That goal is to eliminate death by rabies<\/a> by 2030.<\/p>\n

It starts with a day \u2014 World Rabies Day, a global effort started in 2007. Why should you care?<\/p>\n

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The Impact of Rabies Worldwide<\/h2>\n

The rabies disease has a wide reach. It gets found on all but one continent. Places like Africa, Asia, and the Middle East are the most affected by this fatal issue.<\/p>\n

How is it spread so far? On four legs. Over 90% of rabies is canine rabies.<\/p>\n

Areas with large stray dog populations are where rabies cultivates. And since it\u2019s a zoonotic disease, it is easily transferred from animals to humans. This can be a bite, a scratch, contact with saliva.<\/p>\n

Although the problem is worldwide, it thrives in Asia and Africa. Of the 59,000 deaths per year, 95% of them are in one of these two places. The rabid dog population is higher, and rabies correlates.<\/p>\n

The United States is lucky to say that only 1-3 deaths per year are because of rabies. In these cases, the patients didn\u2019t likely know they were facing exposure to it and hadn\u2019t had a rabies shot.<\/p>\n

Rabies can kill humans as well as other animals. And as of now, no cure exists for this viral disease.<\/p>\n

And if you can\u2019t cure it, what\u2019s the next best thing we can try? Prevention is a close second-best \u2013 ensure your pets have their rabies shot. Done by pet owners, advocates, and healthcare professionals worldwide. And so World Rabies Day was born eleven years ago.<\/p>\n

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The History of World Rabies Day<\/h2>\n

September 28, 2007, is the birthday of this awareness holiday. That means you have a few weeks left to spread the word, attend events, raise awareness and make sure your pets and friends pets are up to date with their rabies shot. It was started and is still run by GARC \u2013 the Global Alliance for Rabies Control.<\/p>\n

The importance of this day is in the fact that it exists at all. Rabies is still a worldwide problem, killing thousands a day. The fight against rabies is nowhere near over.<\/p>\n

Large health organizations support the holiday, which advocates for awareness and prevention. It gets observed in many countries. Its most important goal is to effectively end rabies deaths by the year 2030.<\/p>\n

(Search the hashtag #zeroby30 to be a part of the conversation.)<\/p>\n

The weeks leading up to World Rabies Day are full of fundraising opportunities and awareness events. It\u2019s a common thing to see \u201cFree Vaccine\u201d days, allowing for pet owners to vaccinate their dogs free of charge.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s theme is appropriate for the mission. \u201cRabies: Share the message. Save a life.\u201d Sometimes, prevention is as simple as sharing a message and spreading knowledge.<\/p>\n

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What Can You Do? Make Sure Your Pets Have An Up To Date Rabies Shot To Start!<\/h2>\n

If rabies is a preventable disease, what efforts can you take to prevent it?<\/p>\n

Attending World Rabies Day events is a great way to start. Here are more effective ways<\/a> of avoiding it:<\/p>\n