Government of India launched National Rabies Control Program (NRCP) for prevention and control of Rabies

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The Central Government has launched the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) for prevention and control of Rabies recently.

National Rabies Control Program Strategy

1. Provision of Rabies Vaccine and Rabies Immune Globulin through National Free Drug Initiative.

2. Training on proper management of animal bites, prevention and control of rabies, surveillance and inter-sectoral coordination.

3. Strengthening monitoring of reporting of animal bites and rabies deaths.

4. Awareness about prevention of rabies.

What is Rabies?

• Rabies is a viral disease. This virus is present in the saliva of animals suffering from rabies such as dogs, cats, monkeys etc.

• It is caused by the rabies virus of the Lyssavirus genus of the Rhabdoviridae family. It is an RNA virus.

• According to statistics, about 99 percent of cases in humans are caused by dog bites.

• Rabies is 100% fatal and 100% preventable through vaccines.

• India accounts for33% of global rabies deaths.

• The time period between bites of an animal infected with rabies and the appearance of symptoms of rabies can range from four days to two years, or sometimes more.

World Rabies Day

• The day is observed every year on 28 September to raise awareness about the effects of rabies virus disease and ways to prevent it.

• The day is celebrated to mark the anniversary of Louis Pasteur's death.

• Louis Pasteur developed the first rabies vaccine and laid the foundation for the prevention of rabies.

• The theme of this day for the year 2022 is 'Rabies: One Health, Zero Deaths'.