World Rabies Day is observed on Sept. 28 annually to raise awareness about the disease and the ways to prevent it.

Rabies, a virus-induced disease, spreads through the bites and scratches of an infected animal, which kills an estimated number of 59,000 people every year the world over. Rabies calls for immediate treatment and failing to seek medical attention at the earliest can prove fatal.

The person who has possibly been exposed to the virus is likely to encounter neurological problems, including fear of light and water.

World Rabies Day also happens to mark the death anniversary of French biologist, microbiologist, and chemist, Louis Pasteur, the inventor of the first Rabies vaccine.

History of World Rabies Day:

World Rabies Day was first observed in the year 2007 with an aim of spreading information regarding the disease and its prevention among the at-risk communities, as well as to support the volunteering organizations for their increased efforts in rabies control.

The first-ever rabies day was conducted in collaboration with Alliance for Rabies Control, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The theme of World Rabies Day:

This year, the 15th World Rabies Day will be observed under the theme of "Rabies: Facts, not Fear." The objective of the theme is to put an end to the longstanding fear of rabies and educate people on the correct facts about it. The sole agenda of the theme is to convince people to seek medical care in case they are exposed to the disease.

How is World Rabies Day observed:

On this day, several vaccination drives are conducted throughout cities in the world to step up the fight against the deadly viral disease.

Below are some quotes about rabies that prove the disease can be tackled if addressed on time. (Courtesy: Quoteslove)

  • "Well, she thought, that big old dog with the hatred in his eyes had killed her after all."- Zora Neale Hurston
  • "True love is hard to find. And once you find it, it probably has rabies."- JoJo
  • "After a good-looking boy gives you rabies two, three times, you’ll settle down and marry somebody less exciting for the rest of your life."- Chuck Palahniuk
  • "If it's someone's pet and you’re keeping it at home, there's just too much room for error there. Hopefully, Lady will not get rabies, but we have to assume the raccoon was rabid."- Lynda Smith
  • "The world is in an extremely dangerous situation, and serious diseases often require the risk of a dangerous cure like the Pasteur serum for rabies."- Alan Watts
  • "A dog that has rabies probably will do things it wouldn’t do if it didn’t have rabies. But that doesn’t change the fact that it has rabies."- John Malkovich
  • "This city is dying of rabies. Is the best I can do to wipe random flecks of foam from its lips?"- Alan Moore
  • "Raccoons and bats are the animals you find rabies in the most."- James Maloney
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Maremma dog breed representational image. Pixabay
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