Introduction

• Viral encephalitis transmitted from animal to animal and from animal to man through saliva.

• Rabies a disease of neglected populations (rural & poor communities) due to lack of awareness about proper post-exposure immunization

• More than 3 billion people in developing countries in Asia potentially exposed to dog rabies.

• Human rabies continues to be endemic in India except for the islands of Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep.

• Dogs continue to be the principal reservoir• Both sylvatic and urban rabies have been

present in India since ancient times• The annual incidence of animal bite was 1.7%;

it was more in children (2.5%) and 68% of them were males. (WHO Sponsored National Multicentric Rabies Survey, 2003)

Annual incidence of human rabies deaths

17,137 (14109 to 20165 with 95% confidence).

An additional of 20% is to be included for paralytic/atypical form of rabies.

This provides an estimation of human rabies deaths from India.

20,566

Source : WHO Sponsored National Multicentric Rabies

Survey Report : APCRI (March – May 2003)

India contributes highest number of human deaths due to rabies in

the world :

Nearly 50% of total human deaths due to rabies in the world

is contributed by India