KEY FACTS: RABIES

Rabies

Rabies occurs in more than 150 countries and territories.
More than 55 000 people die of rabies every year mostly in Asia and Africa.
40% of people who are bitten by suspect rabid animals are children under 15 years of age.
Dogs are the source of the vast majority of human rabies deaths.
Wound cleansing and immunization within a few hours after contact with a suspect rabid animal can prevent the onset of rabies and death.
Every year, more than 15 million people worldwide receive a post-exposure vaccination to prevent the disease– this is estimated to prevent hundreds of thousands of rabies deaths annually.