The incidents of rabies’ are increasing in Pakistan where 5,000 deaths are recorded annually while rabies cases reported from India are much higher and one person is becoming prey to the zoonotic viral disease after every 20 minutes. This was stated by speakers at a national seminar titled “The awareness and current status of rabies” organised by University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday. Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Department Secretary Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh stressed that the health and livestock departments in collaboration with universities should make collaborative efforts to fight against rabies. He said that these institutions should also play their role in creating awareness and preventing the disease in the first place. Referring to nation’s efforts during natural calamities, Sheikh asked why such collaborative efforts were not made during normal circumstances. He also urged the experts to identify the causes and reasons of the spread of rabies, its prevention and cure. He lauded the university’s efforts in holding the national seminar to create awareness among general public. UVAS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Nawaz said rabies was a fatal disease and an alarming threat for human life as well as animals. He called for chalking out strategies to create awareness among students, livestock workers and general public to control the disease. He said that World Rabies Day would be observed on September 28. Dr Nawaz said that rabies was described in Chinese history around 556 BC. Epidemiology and Public Health Department Chairman Prof Dr Ather Khan said that around 55,000 deaths were being reported from across the globe due to zoonotic viral disease and added that 56 percent of these deaths were occurring in Asia and 44 percent in Africa, particularly in rural areas. He said that the domestic animals – dogs, cats and horses were the most important vectors for the spread and transmission of rabies. He called for immunisation of domestic animals and stressed that in case of a bite from rabid animals, the post exposure immunisation must be carried out. Later, at the technical session, the experts recommended that veterinarians and MBBS doctors must be provided with SOPs to attend rabies cases. It was suggested that surveillance was essential for detection of high-risk areas, outbreaks and monitoring of the use of vaccine. Measures should be adopted to control the stray dog population through spaying. Dean faculty of Veterinary Science Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad, WHO representative Dr Muhammad Mazhar Qureshi, Assistant Prof Muhammad Hassan Mushtaq, Dr Sara Afzal and Livestock Department Director General Irfan Zahid also spoke on the occasion. Dean Faculty of Veterinary Science Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad presented souvenir to Hamid Sheikh.