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| Dr. Kurt Rossebo |
World Rabies Day? Is
there such a thing? Yes there is! It is September 28, 2015. World Rabies Day is an annual event started in 2007 to raise
awareness about rabies worldwide.
In the United States, rabies is thought of as a nasty,
foaming disease that only animals get.
In reality, an estimated 55,000 people worldwide die each year from
rabies. That is one person every 10
minutes! Most are children under 15
years old. 95% of rabies victims are in
Africa and Asia.
In the US, roughly 6000 animals each year test positive for the
rabies virus. One or two people die from
rabies each year in the US, mostly due to bat bites. In Wisconsin in 2014, 27 animals tested
positive – 26 bats and 1 skunk.
Unfortunately for us, bats are one of the few mammals that
get into our homes with regularity. It
is extremely important that we keep ALL our pets vaccinated for rabies, even
those who are strictly indoors. Just as
importantly, if you find a bat in your
house, contact your county’s public health department and they can direct you regarding
testing the bat for rabies, so family
members do not have to receive unnecessary post exposure vaccinations.
A miraculous case of surviving rabies occurred right here in
Wisconsin in 2004, after Jeanna Giese was bitten by a bat. Her case underscores the importance of having
any bat that finds its way into your home tested.
If you would like more information about this subject,
please check out Global Alliance for Rabies Control.
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