Appealing to a sweet tooth to raise rabies awareness

To raise funds and promote awareness of rabies, a group of dedicated scientists from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Weybridge held a rabies-themed bake off in aid of World Rabies Day.

The team from the APHA’s Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Bourne Disease Research group came together with colleagues from the virology department to bake a number of attractive, and occasionally(!) delicious, cakes with rabies virus and the World Rabies Day message as their theme.

Despite the availability of both vaccines and post exposure treatments for rabies the virus continues to cause over 60,000 human deaths each year. Over 40% of deaths are in children under the age of 15 across Africa and Asia. 

Whilst the UK remains free of terrestrial rabies, a related virus, European Bat Lyssavirus type 2 is present, albeit it at a very low level, in indigenous bats. The APHA processes over 600 bats each year submitted by members of the public and bat groups to ensure that the risk of

human infection is minimised (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rabies-in-bats).

On a global scale, awareness of the disease is key to preventing deaths in areas where the virus is endemic. Simple actions can save lives in the fight against rabies and raising funds to support GARC is an excellent way to help beat this entirely preventable disease.

With this in mind, the team from Weybridge held the rabies-themed bake off to raise awareness of the disease; raise funds in support of the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC); and showcase some of the lyssavirus research performed at APHA.

Over £100 was raised from the event.

Contributed by Dr. Ashley Banyard, Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK