Media Advisory

International Conference on Rabies in the Americas at CDC

What:

The longest running annual international rabies conference, the XIX International Conference on Rabies in the Americas, featuring presentations from experts from around the world. The opening conference keynote speaker will be 19-year old Jeanna Giese, the first person known to have survived symptomatic rabies without receiving the rabies vaccine. Authorities from the United States, Canada and Mexico will sign the first North American Rabies Management Plan on the final day of the conference. Photographers are welcome.

When:

The conference begins on World Rabies Day, Sunday, September 28th, and concludes on Friday, October 3rd.

Where:

Hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, at the Tom Harkin Global Communications Center in Atlanta.

Why:

Rabies in humans is preventable through prompt appropriate medical care, yet more than 55,000 people die from rabies every year -- a rate of one person every ten minutes. The most important global source of rabies in humans is from uncontrolled rabies in dogs. The management plan will provide the framework for the United States, Canadian, and Mexican governments to work together to address rabies management challenges and will serve as a model for cooperative rabies management across North America.

Presenters throughout the week will share information regarding the advances made in the areas of prevention, control, and treatment of rabies; but will also address international challenges faced in stopping this preventable but deadly viral disease.

For more information: www.rabiesintheamericas.org or www.cdc.gov

Important Instructions:

If you would like to ask a question during the call, press *1 on your touchtone phone. Press *2 to withdraw your question. You may queue up at any time. You will hear a tone to indicate your question is pending.

Listen-Only Audio Webcast

This media availability will also available via listen-only audio web cast at www.cdc.gov/media.

Transcript

A transcript of this media availability will be available following the briefing at the CDC web site at www.cdc.gov/media.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES