The 2025 Theme: “Act Now: You, Me, and the Community”
Every year on September 28, the world commemorates World Rabies Day, an initiative by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) and recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), aiming to raise public awareness about rabies prevention and reduce its global transmission. The date honors Louis Pasteur, the inventor of the first rabies vaccine.
Key Facts About Rabies
Since its inception in 2007, World Rabies Day has become the largest global awareness event on rabies, engaging governments, organizations, communities, and citizens in prevention activities, vaccination campaigns, and information dissemination.
This year’s theme, “Act Now: You, Me, and the Community,” marks a milestone as it does not explicitly mention “rabies” for the first time in 19 years, emphasizing collective action beyond the disease’s name.
According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), rabies remains one of the deadliest zoonotic diseases, causing 59,000 human deaths annually. Although present in over 150 countries, 99% of human cases result from bites by domestic animals, primarily dogs.
Mexico: Two Confirmed Cases in 2025
Mexico’s Secretariat of Health reported two human rabies cases by week 37 of 2025: one linked to wildlife contact in Michoacán and another to urban animal contact in Quintana Roo. No cases were reported during the same period in 2024.
Since 1983, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have reduced human and canine rabies cases by over 95% through the Program for Elimination of Human Rabies Transmitted by Dogs, coordinated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/WHO. However, recent cases in Mexico highlight the importance of maintaining epidemiological surveillance and vaccination campaigns to achieve the regional elimination goal by 2030.
Symptoms and Prevention: What You Should Know
Rabies is 100% fatal once symptoms appear. The incubation period can range from 3 to 12 weeks, sometimes extending up to a year. Initial signs include fever, headache, and general malaise, followed by restlessness, excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, hydrophobia, hallucinations, and paralysis.
- Recommendations for Prevention:
- Regularly vaccinate dogs, cats, and ferrets.
- Avoid approaching wildlife or pets displaying unusual behavior.
- Report any animals exhibiting symptoms like foaming at the mouth, extreme aggression, or signs of paralysis to authorities.
- Immediately wash bites or scratches with soap and water, then seek medical attention for post-exposure treatment.
This year’s commemoration encourages individuals, families, and communities to actively participate in rabies prevention efforts, from joining vaccination campaigns to organizing educational activities in schools and public spaces or sharing information on social media.
The FAO, OIE, WHO, and the “United Against Rabies” forum affirm that eliminating rabies by 2030 is achievable with continued international cooperation and community commitment.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: What is World Rabies Day? A: An annual global event on September 28, initiated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) to raise awareness about rabies prevention and reduce its global transmission.
- Q: What is the theme for World Rabies Day 2025? A: “Act Now: You, Me, and the Community,” emphasizing collective action beyond rabies’ name.
- Q: Why is rabies a significant concern? A: Rabies causes 59,000 human deaths annually and is present in over 150 countries, with 99% of human cases resulting from dog bites.
- Q: How many rabies cases were reported in Mexico by week 37 of 2025? A: Two human rabies cases were reported, one linked to wildlife contact in Michoacán and another to urban animal contact in Quintana Roo.
- Q: What are the symptoms of rabies? A: Initial signs include fever, headache, and malaise; later symptoms involve restlessness, excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, hydrophobia, hallucinations, and paralysis.
- Q: How can rabies be prevented? A: Regularly vaccinate pets, avoid wildlife and unusual-behaving pets, report symptomatic animals to authorities, wash bites or scratches immediately, and seek post-exposure treatment.
