PETS
September 26, 2009 Every ten minutes someone dies from rabies somewhere in the world.
And one-third of those are children.
In an effort to prevent so many human deaths from rabies, the Alliance for Rabies Control, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, established World Rabies Day.
Their goal is to raise awareness about the danger that rabies poses for both humans and animals.
They are working to encourage prevention and eventually eliminate rabies around the globe.
In most parts of the world, the greatest problem is uncontrolled rabies in dogs.
That problem could be solved by making sure the animals are vaccinated, and improving medical care for bite victims.
In the United States, confirmed cases of rabies in dogs and cats is relatively low, although from 2007 to 2008 there was a 7% increase in rabies in domestic cats.
The greater threat is from wild animals.
In the middle of the country from the Canadian border to the Texas coast a lot of skunks test positive for rabies.
In the southwest, it's the fox, and all up and down the eastern seaboard the raccoons are a major source of rabies.
And every state reports confirmed cases of rabies in bats.
Well, almost every state. Hawaii is the only state in the union that is rabies-free.
This coming Monday, September 28th, is the third annual World Rabies Day.
Here in the U.S., rabies clinics are being held in many cities.
Around the globe, World Rabies Day events are taking place in Nigeria, Brazil, India, Iraq, China, Germany, Argentina, and South Africa – to mention just a few.
You can find out more about World Rabies Day by visiting the website at WorldRabiesDay.org.
Learn how to protect your family, including your pets, from this deadly disease.
And if it's been a while since your dog or cat or horse was vaccinated for rabies call your veterinarian and make an appointment.
Join the rest of the world as we all work together to make rabies history, when we're speaking of people and pets.
© Copyright 2012, APR - ALABAMA PUBLIC RADIO
