Client handout: Rabies 101: What you need to know

Click on the handout to download now.Rabies is one of the deadliest diseases on Earth. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 60,000 people worldwide die of rabies each year, mostly in Asia and Africa, with more than 99% of these cases attributed to dog bites. This year, a Norwegian woman who vacationed in the Philippines died from rabies within days after being bitten by a stray puppy she had rescued there.

In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about 60 to 70 dogs, and more than 250 cats, are reported rabid each year. Almost all of these animals were unvaccinated and were infected by rabid wildlife (e.g. bats, racoons, skunks). 

Human cases of rabies are rare-one to three human deaths are linked to the disease annually in the U.S. Although nationwide efforts to mandate pet rabies vaccinations have largely eliminated much of the disease in this country, rabies continues to pose a serious threat to pets and their owners.

Use this handout to educate your clients about rabies, including how to recognize it, how it's treated and how to prevent it.