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World Rabies Day 2011

World Rabies Day 2011 is a global initiative which aims to raise awareness about the impact of human and animal rabies. The World Health Organization estimates that rabies causes 55,000 deaths per year, many of these in children.

Hence the need to highlight global initiatives aimed at preventing and subsequently eliminating the disease.

Rabies is an acute viral infection that is almost universally fatal, however prompt post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with rabies vaccine and human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) is highly effective at preventing disease.

Rabies is transmitted to humans mainly by bites, but exposure may also occur through scratches, contamination of broken skin or mucous membranes with saliva from an infected animal or bat.

The UK has been free of rabies in terrestrial animals since 1922, but in 2002 it was recognised that UK bats may carry a rabies-like virus, European Bat Lyssavirus 2 (EBLV2).  Since 2000 there have been five human deaths from rabies in UK citizens; four of these in travellers following exposure in rabies endemic countries, and the fifth in a bat handler infected in Scotland. None of these individuals had received post-exposure prophylaxis.

Results from a recent Health Protection Agency study suggest that use of PEP in England and Wales is increasing significantly, with more foreign travel to rabies endemic countries a likely cause.

Over half of the possible rabies exposures to UK travellers occurred in Asia, in particular in India, Thailand and Turkey. The most common exposure resulting in PEP involved dogs, followed by bats, cats and monkeys. The majority (82 per cent) of the bat exposures occurred in the UK.

World Rabies Day is a timely reminder that rabies is still a serious problem in some countries and that it is important for travellers to remember that there is a risk of rabies through contact with infected animals, particularly dogs, in countries where the disease has not yet been eliminated.

Rabies is not only found in wild animals. Domestic pets can also carry rabies and may not show signs of the disease. By all means, enjoy your holidays but travellers should be aware of the risk of rabies and avoid contact with animals in countries where rabies occurs.

Any UK traveller, who may have been exposed to an animal in a rabies endemic country, should seek urgent medical attention. Rabies vaccine is very safe and highly effective at preventing rabies, but should be given promptly once the risk has been identified.

A rabies factsheet for travellers is available on the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website - http://www.nathnac.org/travel/factsheets/rabies1.htm
HPA advice on the risk assessment of potential rabies exposures in returning travellers can be found here: http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/Rabies/Guidelines/

The UK population is not at risk if there is no direct contact with bats. If a member of the public finds an injured bat, or a bat that needs to be moved, HPA advice is not touch the bat but to call the Bat Conservation Trust  helpline on 0845 130 0228 for advice.

Further information


Last reviewed: 5 October 2011