Rabies Awareness

September 28 is World Rabies Day. At CAC, we’re committed to raising awareness to help end this deadly virus. Here are some quick facts. 

• Rabies kills close to 60,000 people in the world each year, the majority being children.

• It is transmitted via saliva and targets the central nervous system.

• 99% of human rabies cases are transmitted through dog bites.

• While incurable and nearly always fatal, rabies is 100% preventable. 

Dog vaccination campaigns like Mission Rabies are critical for controlling and preventing human rabies cases. Earlier this year, Dr. Adkins received a scholarship from Merck to participate in a Mission Rabies trip in Africa. She and a team of global volunteers administered thousands of vaccines. They reached their goal of 70% of the local dog population, which is the established benchmark for achieving herd immunity. Way to go!

Mission Rabies is one of many organizations working toward a rabies-free future. For example, global health partners including the WHO, OIE, FAO, and GARC announced Zero by 30 to totally eliminate human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies by 2030. 

You can do your part to help end rabies by vaccinating your pets! Read more about canine and feline vaccinations on our website.

Earlier this year, Dr. Adkins participated in a Mission Rabies trip in Africa. She and her team met their goal to vaccinate 70% of the local dog population!