Today, Sept. 28 is World Rabies Day, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Around 55,000 people die of rabies worldwide every year, although cases in rural areas of the developing world may be undercounted. Many of the victims are young — often young boys who are more likely to try to play with or approach strange dogs or other animals.

While fatalities from rabies in the U.S. are rare, about 40,000 Americans receive booster shots every year because they may have been exposed to the disease. These shots, called ‘post-exposure prophylaxis’ are very effective if given before the virus reaches the central nervous system. Once neurological symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal.

The Global HealthShare Initiative based at UC Davis is working on a project to bring affordable rabies vaccines to the developing world, especially Bangladesh. Through the initiative’s network, a South African biotech startup company is using established technology to make the vaccine in tobacco plants, rather than isolating the antibodies from human or horse serum. They plan to sell the vaccine for a fraction of the cost of the current vaccine — affordable for Bangladesh, put with enough profit to reinvest in the company.

Earlier this year, an eight-year-old from Humboldt County became only the third person known to have survived full-blown rabies in the U.S. after treatment at UC Davis Childrens’ Hospital.