Arizona Department of Health Services

World Rabies Day is September 28^th 2008
http://www.worldrabiesday.org/

The mission of World Rabies Day is to raise awareness about the impact of rabies. More than 55,000 people, mostly in Africa and Asia, die from rabies every year-- a rate of one person every ten minutes. The most important source of rabies in humans in other parts of the world is from uncontrolled rabies in dogs. This large impact of rabies on human health in Asia and Africa is due to a lack of animal control infrastructure, lack of rabies vaccination of dogs, and the unavailability of rabies vaccination for humans after an animal bite.

Rabies is still a threat to wildlife health in Arizona and thus to your pet's health. Rabies is a common infection in bats, skunks, and foxes in Arizona. More than 90% of all animal cases reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention occur in wildlife. Even in the heart of Phoenix, rabid bats are found by children and pets every year. Teaching your children not to touch wild animals and vaccinating your dogs and cats for rabies continues to be important in Arizona.

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	Local Activities in Arizona In honor of World Rabies Day, Maricopa County Animal Care and Control is holding two free rabies vaccination clinics for the community. Tuesday, September 23 - 7 to 10am Friendship Park 12325 W. McDowell Road Avondale, AZ 85392 (I-10 and McDowell Road) Sunday, September 28 - 7 to 10am PETCO 5011 East Ray Road Phoenix 85044 (Ray Road and 50th Street) All dogs must be on a leash. All cats must be in carriers-only one cat per carrier. All animals must be in good health and be 3 months old. Animals must be brought in by legal owner, at least 18. If you would like an activity posted here, please email agency, date and contact information to wamplec@azdhs.gov. If you would like to host an event, visit www.worldrabiesday.org for background information, talking points, ideas for reaching out to partners in your community, and World Rabies Day merchandise. Maricopa County Animal Care & Control has published a comic book on bats and rabies to distribute to schools which had bat incidents during the past year. Please send an email to ahollis@mail.maricopa.gov to request more information. For more information, visit their website at: www.maricopa.gov/pets. Check back for more local activities!

Media	Press Release Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Game and Fish Department issued a press release at the end of August 2007 to announce the first annual World Rabies Day.

	Latest Rabies News in Arizona Statistics Incidents

	ARIZONA GAME AND FISH Arizona Game and Fish Department: www.gf.state.az.us "Living with Bats" website: www.azgfd.gov/w_c/urban_bats.shtml "Bats of Arizona" website: www.azgfd.gov/i_e/ee/resources/posters/bats_index.shtml Bats of Arizona: Classroom Ideas & Comic Book from Maricopa County

	LOCAL ANIMAL CONTROL AGENCIES Prior to the 1960s, the dog strain of rabies virus was present in the United States. Animal Control agencies played a vital role in eliminating rabies from dogs in the U.S. and still play an important role in preventing rabies infections in dogs and cats in the U.S. by: Controlling the number of strays Adopting out spayed/neutered pets that are vaccinated Enforcing local leash laws Providing free or low-cost rabies vaccination clinics Educating residents on rabies and responsible care of pets

	CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION CDC World Rabies Day Bats at Camps- Educational flyer for camp administrators

	Association of Rabies and Animal Control Enforcement Agents of Arizona (ARACEAA) http://www.araceaa.com/

	USDA APHIS Wildlife Services- Information on Oral Rabies Vaccination

	Arizona Veterinary Medical Association article on World Rabies Day

Please send any question, ideas, comments to Elisabeth Lawaczeck, DVM, at ADHS: lawacze@azdhs.gov, or just call at 602-364-3852