World Rabies Day
A global day raising awareness of rabies, a fatal yet fully preventable disease, marking the anniversary of Louis Pasteur's death.
Date28 September
TopicHealth
Established2007
Ways to observe this day
- Make sure your pet's rabies vaccination is up to date
- Avoid approaching stray or unfamiliar animals
- Seek medical care immediately after any animal bite
- Support dog vaccination campaigns in your community
The Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) launched World Rabies Day in 2007, in partnership with the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Organisation for Animal Health. September 28 was chosen to mark the anniversary of the death of French scientist Louis Pasteur, who developed the first effective rabies vaccine.
Rabies, a viral disease most often transmitted through bites from infected dogs, kills tens of thousands of people worldwide each year, the majority in Asia and Africa, and many of them children. Although the disease is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, it is entirely preventable through timely vaccination.
The day raises awareness of rabies prevention, encourages the vaccination of pet dogs, and supports the global effort to eliminate human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
