Global initative launched to raise awarenes, help curb rabies

Atlanta - 9/7/07 - The first-ever World Rabies Day - an international effort to raise awareness about the risks of rabies - kicks off tomorrow, Sept. 8. The event aims to heighten understanding of the impact of human and animal rabies, while encouraging prevention to help avoid more than 55,000 rabies-related deaths that are estimated to occur each year.

Almost 50 countries will participate in the effort, and events - including rock concerts, races, swimming events, dog-vaccination drives and educational symposiums - in support of World Rabies Day began in late August and will continue through the beginning of October.

"With tens of thousands of preventable deaths around the globe attributed to rabies every year, we can't afford to let down our guard," says Charles Rupprecht, MS, VMD, PhD and chief of the rabies program at CDC. "We hope that the World Rabies Day initiative will raise awareness of the genuine threat of rabies and keep prevention top of mind. "

The event boasts multiple major sponsors, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Alliance for Rabies Control (ARC), World Health Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and Merial, who is providing monetary support to the Student American Veterinary Medical Association and underwriting multiple initiatives supporting public education about rabies and responsible pet ownership.

"As a global leader in the animal health care industry - especially in advanced rabies vaccination technology for both companion animals and wildlife - Merial is in a unique position to bolster World Rabies Day efforts," says Joanne Maki, DVM, MS, PhD and technical advisor for Veterinary Public Affairs at Merial. "We are committed to ensuring that veterinarians and health officials across the globe have the tools they need to help prevent rabies transmission."

Merial is also serving as contributing sponsor of the World Rabies Day Symposium and Expo. Scheduled for today, Sept. 7, the expo will review historical progress, current status and future needs of rabies prevention and control, featuring international experts. It will also focus on the control of canine rabies in the United States, one of the main public-health success stories of the last century, says Abbigail Tumpy, CDC spokesperson and World Rabies Day global communications coordinator.