Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Drought, disaster and rural support
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Levies and charges on agricultural products
    • Mouse infestation advice
    • Plant health
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    • Report a concern
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Plant Innovation Centre
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We enhance our agricultural industries and trade, and manage the threat of biosecurity risks to Australia.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Budget 2025-26

    Budget 2025-26

    The 2025–26 Portfolio Budget Statements were released on 25 March 2025.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Biosecurity
  4. Biosecurity in Australia
  5. Northern biosecurity
  6. Rabies Awareness - Keep a TopWatch!

Sidebar first - Biosecurity

  • Northern biosecurity
    • Aquatic pest biosecurity community awareness
    • Biosecurity-it’s everyone’s business virtual reality experience
    • Country Handle with Care - Costa and dirtgirl Tackle Biosecurity
    • Frontline-northern biosecurity’s community song
    • Avian influenza awareness – Keep a TopWatch!
    • Lumpy skin disease awareness – Keep a TopWatch!
    • Rabies Awareness - Keep a Top Watch!
    • Report a pest, weed or disease in Northern Australia
    • You can be a Biosecurity Champion too!
      • Developing industry and supporting local growers

Rabies Awareness – Keep a TopWatch!

We have developed a rabies awareness animated video. The video has been driven through the recommendations from the University of Sydney research into managing the risk of rabies incursion in Papua New Guinea and Charles Darwin University research developing culturally appropriate rabies communications messaging.

Australia does NOT have rabies.

It is a serious disease that kills more the 60,000 people a year across the world, and as it spreads across Australia’s northern neighbours, it is becoming more likely it will eventually reach our shores.

Australia does not have rabies, but it could come here any time:

  • if the virus were to spread from Indonesia, into West Papua and across into Papua New Guinea, there is a greater risk rabies could enter into Australia through Torres Strait
  • via yachts carrying rabies-infected dogs from Indonesia, landing on Australia’s northern coastline and mixing with dingoes and community cats and dogs

Watch and share the rabies awareness video

The video supports key target messages:

  • Australia does not have rabies. Let’s keep it that way!
  • Keep a TopWatch! for rabies in your community
  • If you see any dog suddenly change their behaviour from a happy to a crazy or strange dog, report it to a ranger, the health clinic, biosecurity officer or another adult you trust.
  • An adult viewer can call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888

Key stakeholders are encouraged to download and share the video as an educational tool.

Download

Rabies Awareness – Keep a TopWatch! in your community animation (MP4 42 MB)
Transcript - Rabies Awareness – Keep a TopWatch! in your community animation (DOCX 22 KB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Rabies risk pathways and clinical information

  • Rabies is present in more than 100 countries across the world, causing 60,000 human deaths each year, almost all of them in Africa and Asia and many of them young children.
  • The rabies disease can affect all warm blooded animals, including humans.
  • Dog bites are the most common way humans become infected with the rabies virus.
  • Once infected with the virus, signs of the disease can show anywhere between 10 days and several months.
  • Once signs of the disease start to show, death usually occurs within 10 days. 
  • The signs of rabies can show in two different ways:
    • ‘Furious’ rabies – a dog’s behaviour will suddenly become more aggressive, including biting.
    • ‘Dumb’ rabies – a dog will change its behaviour and may become quieter and act ‘dumb’. A dog may bark at nothing and bite and chew objects.
    • A dog will have lots of spit (more than usual) around the mouth.
  • Humans and dogs can be vaccinated to prevent being infected by rabies.
  • As rabies is present and spreading through Indonesia to our north, it is becoming more likely that it will eventually reach our shores.
  • If rabies spreads into West Papua and across into Papua New Guinea, there is a greater risk rabies could enter Australia through Torres Strait.
  • There is also a risk of yachts carrying rabies infected dogs from Indonesia landing on Australian’s northern coastline and mixing with dingoes and community cats and dogs.

Large parts of the northern Australian coastline have very few people. There are lots of community dogs, dingoes and other wild dogs in and around remote communities. If these dogs became infected with rabies, they would be a huge threat to the health and safety of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in northern Australia communities.

General enquiries

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip
Page last updated: 21 October 2024

We acknowledge the continuous connection of First Nations Traditional Owners and Custodians to the lands, seas and waters of Australia. We recognise their care for and cultivation of Country. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and recognise their knowledge and contribution to the productivity, innovation and sustainability of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

Artwork: Protecting our Country, Growing our Future
© Amy Allerton, contemporary Aboriginal Artist of the Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Gamilaroi nations.

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Facebook X LinkedIn Instagram