Rabies: A Global Health Challenge

Rabies is zoonotic encephalitis caused by the rabies virus. The virus belongs to the Lyssavirus of the family Rhabdoviridae. The primary way that rabies is transmitted is by animal bite. It can directly penetrate the peripheral nerve system and move towards the brain. It can also spread within muscle tissue, where the host's immune system cannot harm it. It then passes through the neuromuscular connections and into the nervous system. The deadly zoonotic illness rabies severely paralyses the central nervous system. The infection is nearly always fatal, resulting in approximately 59,000 deaths worldwide each year. Rabies is prevalent in over 150 countries worldwide, and India alone accounts for one-third of the global rabies cases, resulting in approximately 20,000 deaths annually. The government of India introduced its National Action Plan for the Elimination of Dog-mediated Rabies (NAPRE) in 2021. This is aligned with the global objective of eliminating human deaths caused by dog-mediated rabies by 2030.