Blog 7: Human dog-mediated-rabies: strengthening capacity and raising awareness are crucial for elimination ( Lindsay Chase)

http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/rabies_consultation_2012/en/index.html


Recently a WHO (World Health Organization) representative that is a consultant on rabies issued that countries should strengthen their canine rabies prevention and control. This expert wants the awareness to be higher about canine rabies, especially to children. A study has shown that 50,000 people die, mainly in Africa and Asia, from rabies even though there is about 20 million that recieve a vaccine. These outbreaks normally occur in rural and poor places where people don't have access to managment centers after a dog bite. RAbies is a neglected disease of poor and vulnerable populations. In these areas rabies is nearly always fatal after being infected with the virus normally from an infected dog. A lot of times the disease can be misdiagnosed and not always reported by some people. When these instances are not reported they can prevent the mobilization of help to these rural areas. Meaning that the preventing measures needed are not always implemented. By strengthening the measures needed and making more people aware of the disease it can help the disease to be avoided. Children are the main group that deals with the disease the most.
to help avoid rabies it has been recommended that new programs start for rabies and wildlife. Also the managment of patients will be handled better and documented. In a WHO meeting it was decided that the money needed to implement these programs would be a good investment, and it would help many communities that so far have had no access to rabies vaccines. Rabies has been a long time issue all over the world, and not just in Africa and Asia. America as well has had issues with rabies and how to prevent the disease more than it has been. Precautions have been set in order to train people how to deal with rabid animals and not just dogs. America does however have many places that someone can go for treatment of an rabid animal bite. There is a common problem all over the world though. Children are very curious and young ages and will often go to an animal and never notice the difference of a rabif animal from a noninfected one. By teaching children to be more catious to even normal animals can prevent the disease to be transmitted to children.