The Influence of Public Awareness on Prevention of Rabies Cases in Several Asian Countries: A Review

Rabies is a zoonotic disease caused by a viral infection. The rabies virus is often referred to as re-emerging zoonosis, which belongs to the genus lyssavirus. Rabies in humans is spread through the bite of an infected animal. Animals that are at risk of spreading the rabies virus are called HPR. Animals that are at risk of exposure to the rabies virus are all warm-blooded. For Indonesia, the source of rabies transmission comes from 3 animals, namely: dogs, cats, and monkeys. The risk of transmission through bites is speedy and occurs almost every day, primarily through dog bites. Deaths from rabies in children are generally under the age of 15 years. The South Asia region recorded the maximum incidence of rabies outbreaks, with India and Bangladesh at the highest position compared to other countries in the region and beyond. Indonesia is a country that has high rabies cases. Bali is an area that has increased rabies incidence every year. The increase in cases of dog bites is very closely related to people’s awareness patterns. The predetermined pattern of awareness includes: handling after HPR bites, HPR maintenance systems, actions taken when dealing with HPR, and treatment of products (meat or organs) from HPR. Efforts are being made to prevent rabies outbreaks, namely vaccination, depopulation, rabies prevention education for school children, and surveillance of rabies-carrying animal traffic (HPR).