Rabies Day Special: Bridging the Gap between Science and Safety

Dogs hold significant importance and are revered for their loyalty, protection, and association with various deities. They symbolize fidelity and faithfulness, protection, vigilance, devotion, and unwavering commitment. Therefore, dogs are considered as a member of a family in the present society. To keep them healthy it is mandated to vaccinate as it guards them against several infectious diseases and prevents us from acquiring zoonotic infections. The most important fatal zoonotic disease is rabies, which is mankind's oldest known disease. It is caused by singlestranded, negative-sense RNA viruses of the Lyssavirus genus, family Rhabdoviridae. The term is derived from the Latin rabies, madness. This in turn may be related to the Sanskrit Rabhas, to rage. The Greeks derived the word lyssa from violent; this root is used in the genus name of the rabies virus, Lyssavirus. Rabies has been known since 2000 B.C. Rabies is transmitted through the bite of animals infected with rabies, primarily dogs. All warm-blooded creatures, including humans, dogs, cats, foxes, wolves, vampire bats, cattle, horses, sheep, and goats are the hosts. Symptomless carriers and reservoirs of infection are vampire bats. Before 1885, there was a high mortality rate which was 100% fatal due to rabies. The development of the first efficacious rabies vaccine by French scientist and Microbiologist Louis Pasteur in 1885 revolutionized the prevention and treatment of rabies significantly reducing mortality rates. In recognition of his pioneering work, World Rabies Day is observed worldwide on September 28, the anniversary of Pasteur's death.