In July 2010, the Partners for Rabies Prevention, a group of global rabies experts, released the document "The Blueprint for Rabies Prevention and Control", which was developed to serve as a guide for countries to eliminate dog rabies within their borders in an effort to prevent human rabies cases.
This document can be found on its own website, at http://www.rabiesblueprint.com/, or by following the links on the CDC website, at http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/resources/news/2010-07-02.html.
The Blueprint is not meant to replace existing material or national guidelines but rather is meant to serve as an easy-to-use guide to assist countries in understanding how to prevent and control rabies. The guide is applicable to countries with an existing rabies problem and to countries where rabies has been re-introduced.
It brings together relevant information, organized in a simple Q&A format, on rabies prevention from specific international health organizations, including published data from the field. Also included are case reports for closer examination of how human rabies can be prevented and canine rabies can be eliminated. 
Rabies is a serious viral disease of mammals, including humans, domesticated animals and wildlife. It is zoonotic, meaning that it can be transmitted from animals to humans. The virus targets the central nervous system and brain of mammals; once it infects the brain, death is inevitable. Transmission of rabies virus is through infected saliva, and it is usually passed to an uninfected host through the bite of a rabid animal.
Throughout the world, rabies represents a serious human health problem and it is estimated that more than 55,000 people die from rabies annually.
In 2006, the first World Rabies Day was organized. September 28, 2010 is the date of the 4th World Rabies Day, the mission of which is "Working Together to Make Rabies History". The purpose of World Rabies Day is to raise awareness about the impact of human and animal rabies, how easy it is to prevent it, and how to eliminate the main global sources.
Further information about rabies can be found in the client education articles on our website, while more comprehensive information is available at the websites for World Rabies Day at http://www.worldrabiesday.org/, the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/ or the Public Health Agency of Canada at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/vpd-mev/rabies-eng.php.
Caution: These news items, written by Lifelearn Inc., are licensed to this practice for the personal use of our clients. Any copying, printing or further distribution is prohibited without the express written permission of Lifelearn Inc. Please note that the news information presented here is NOT a substitute for a proper consultation and/or clinical examination of your pet by our clinic veterinarian.
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