Rabies awareness and early detection course

About the course

This free course has been created by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to provide veterinarians, para-veterinary professionals and local government staff (animal management officers and environmental health workers) an overview of rabies disease caused by Lyssavirus rabies (RABV).  

Australia is one of the few countries in the world to remain rabies free. Rabies causes nearly 60,000 deaths annually, mainly in Asia and Africa, which is why Australia is focused on remaining rabies-free.  In recent years, the virus has continued to spread through the eastern islands of Indonesia.  Should rabies penetrate Australia’s biosecurity defences, early detection is critical to avoid establishment which would have a profound impact on our way of life.  Increased awareness and understanding of rabies by course participants will strengthen Australia’s surveillance capacity.

Although developed by Queensland DAF for northern Australia, most of the information is applicable Australia-wide. Throughout the course, links are provided to additional resources.

Registered veterinarians who complete the course are eligible to claim 1 continuing professional development (CPD) point.

What you’ll learn

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Explain the process by which rabies disease develops
• Recognise the important signs and symptoms of rabies disease in common domestic animal species and in humans
• Explain the importance of a One Health approach for dealing with rabies disease
• Describe the steps needed to make a diagnosis of rabies disease in animals and humans
• Describe the prevention, control, and eradication measures that can be used in domestic animals, wildlife, and humans, both internationally and locally.

Course content

• Section 1: Where does rabies come from? An overview of rabies
• Section 2: Rabies in animals
• Section 3: Rabies in humans
• Section 4: Transport and packaging.

Enrolment

To access this training, you will need to log in to the Biosecurity Online Training (BOLT) learning management platform. Access is free and available to anyone with an interest in biosecurity. If you are not already a member, then you will need to register and create a new account.

For help with BOLT, please contact [email protected].

Funding acknowledgement

This training has been developed by the Queensland Government Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.