South Africa: Rabies Month

Via All Africa :

" Globally, 28 September has been declared as World Rabies Day, with the mission to raise awareness about the impact of human and animal rabies and the relative ease of its prevention.

Despite rabies being preventable in humans through prompt medical treatment following exposure, more than 55 000 people die annually in the world due to rabies, most cases being in Africa and Asia.

The increased occurrence of rabies outbreaks in densely populated areas within South Africa has resulted in the country taking it a step further and declaring September 2011 as a rabies month within South Africa.

Rabies (hondsdolheid) is a fatal disease of animals that may also be fatal in humans if not treated immediately after exposure. All warm blooded animals can contract and then transmit rabies. The most common animal species within South Africa that can become infected with Rabies are pets (e.g. cats, dogs, horses), livestock (e.g. cattle, goats, sheep) and wild animals (e.g. mongooses, bat-eared foxes, black-backed jackals, bats)."