RABIES
What is Rabies?
An acute viral infection affecting the nervous system of animals. It can be transmitted to humans by a bite or by the exposure of broken skin to an infected animal’s saliva.
Rabies is transmitted by infected saliva that enters the body by a bite or open wound. The virus travels from the wound along nerve pathways to the brain, where it causes inflammation that results in the symptoms of the disease. The incubation period ranges from 10 days to 7 years, with the average period 3 to 7 weeks.
What animals carry Rabies?
In the past, human cases usually resulted from a dog bite, but most recently cases of human rabies have been linked to rabies virus carried by bats. In the United States there have not been any rabies cases due to dog bites for a number of years. Worldwide, dogs still pose a significant risk for transmitting rabies. Bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes, and other animals are other sources of rabies virus.How can Rabies be Prevented?
-
vaccination of dogs and cats every 2 years
in areas of the United States where rabies exists in wild
animals
-
vaccination of people in high-risk occupations
-
quarantine regulations on importing dogs
and other mammals in disease-free countries
What are the Symptoms of Rabies?
- low-grade fever (102 degrees F or lower)
- pain at the site of the bite
- exaggerated sensation at the bite site
- swallowing difficulty (drinking produces spasms of the larynx)
- swallowing difficulty with liquids only
- restlessness
- excitability
- muscle spasms
- convulsions
- numbness and tingling
- loss of muscle function
- loss of feeling in an area of the body
- drooling
- anxiety, stress, and tension
- positive Babinski’s reflex
How is Rabies Diagnosed?
If a person has a history of animal bite, the animal will be observed for signs of rabies. Immunofluorescence (fluorescent antibody test) performed on the suspect animal may show that the animal has rabies.
What is the Treatment for Rabies?
Seek professional care after sustaining an animal bite. Try to gather as much information about the animal as possible. Contact local animal control authorities to confine suspect animals for observation and examination if rabies is suspected.
Thorough cleaning and removal of foreign objects (debridement) from the wound is needed. Animal bite wounds usually should not be sutured. A passive immunization by human rabies immune globulin may be given if there is any risk of rabies.
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