BE RABIES AWARE World Rabies Day: 28th September (CELEBRATED
ANNUALLY)
World Rabies Day is here! Celebrated annually in
September, World Rabies Day raises awareness about rabies prevention and
highlights the progress being made to defeat this awful disease. Read on to
learn more about the disease, and how you can help protect yourself from
rabies when travelling.
Rabies: Share the message. Save a life.
#BeRabiesAware
What is rabies?
Rabies is a serious viral disease that is passed to
humans through a bite, lick or scratch from an infected animal, usually
a dog1
Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always
fatal. It is estimated that worldwide, rabies causes one death every
nine minutes (59,000 deaths annually)1,2
For more information on rabies, including symptoms,
click here.
Am I at risk of getting rabies while travelling?
Rabies exists across the globe (except on
Antarctica), although the risk of getting rabies is highest in places
where the virus is present in dogs, such as countries in Africa and
Asia1
Cases of rabies are generally rare in travellers,
but animal bites and scratches are not1
Travellers should be aware of the risks and
know what to do if they are bitten or scratched1
Every year, approximately 2000 people in England require treatment
for a potential rabies exposure. The majority of these cases are for
travellers that were exposed to an animal overseas.3
However, more than 10% of these cases result from potential bat exposure in
the UK.3 It is also important to seek medical advice if you are
bitten by, or have close contact with, a bat in the UK.
Read on to see what you can do to help protect yourself against rabies.
How can I help protect myself from getting rabies?
What to do before you travel
Consider getting vaccinated against rabies,
particularly if:4
Medical treatment may be in short supply where
you’re going
You’ll be doing activities such as cycling or
running
You’re staying for more than one month
Speak to your doctor or nurse before you travel –
they’ll be able to advise you on whether you should get vaccinated
before you go.
Actions to take while you are
travelling
Be careful around animals (wild and
domesticated) – minimise your risk of being bitten or
scratched3
If you are bitten, seek immediate
medical advice. Effective post-exposure treatment is available, if given
rapidly after the potential exposure3
You should also immediately wash any
wounds with soap and water for several minutes, and apply a disinfectant
and dressing to the wound1
Which animals can carry rabies?
All warm-blooded animals, such as dogs, cats,
monkeys, bats and other wildlife can develop rabies3
It’s crucial that travellers are aware of
potential rabies risks from animals so that they can avoid putting
themselves in harm’s way3
It’s recommended to avoid touching or feeding
animals when travelling, as this will help to reduce the risk of being
bitten, scratched, or licked by an animal carrying rabies3
The map below shows some of the animals that can pass
rabies on to humans.
The World Health Organization is dedicated to
eliminating human rabies transmitted by dogs by
20305 – help achieve this goal –
#BeRabiesAware
For more information on the World Health Organization’s efforts
against rabies, click here.
Watch our short educational animation on rabies by
clicking on the video below.
Did you find this useful?
MAT-GB-2200457 | February 2022
References
Travel Health Pro. Rabies. Available at:
https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/20/rabies.
Accessed October 2020.
CDC. Every 9 Minutes, Someone in the World Dies of
Rabies. Available at:
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/p0928-rabies.html.
Accessed October 2020.
Public Health England. Vaccine Update: Issue 282.
August 2018. Available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vaccine-update-issue-282-august-2018-rabies-special-edition.
Accessed October 2020.
Public Health England. Rabies: The Green Book.
Chapter 27. Available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rabies-the-green-book-chapter-27.
Accessed September 2020.
WHO. United Against Rabies Launches Global Plan to Achieve Zero Rabies
Human Deaths. Available at: https://www.who.int/rabies/news/RUA-Rabies-launch-plan-achieve-zero-rabies-human-deaths-2030/en/.
Accessed October 2020.