Rabies: zoonotic rabies

This chapter examines rabies, a devastating disease of animals that is comparatively rarely transmitted to humans and has been recognized since the dawn of history. It appeared in the Babylonian Eshnunna Code before 2300 bc. The infection spread to Europe and then to the world both by natural migration and colonial activity.

The chapter mentions Aulus Cornelius Celsius, who first described hydrophobia in ad 100 and recommended cautery of animal bites with a hot iron. This remained the treatment of rabid animal bites until 1884, when Louis Pasteur introduced his famous human rabies vaccine. There have been 24,000 human deaths in Africa alone, almost all contracting rabies from dogs, and the burden in Asia is even larger.

The chapter considers rabies a neglected enzootic disease that presents a serious public health threat in developing countries.