Rabies in Humans

Rabies

Immediately associated with a bite or scratch from a stray animal and all these injections into the abdomen, rabies is a serious viral infection. Usually, by the time symptoms appear, it is too late to save the infected person. However, a person who has been exposed to rabies can usually be treated effectively if they seek help immediately.

What is Rabies?

Rabies, also known as hydrophobia, is an acute viral infection that is almost always fatal. It comes under the category of infectious diseases and is transmitted by farm or wild animals; Usually carnivores such as dogs, cats, foxes, raccoons. It is found mostly in Africa and parts of Southeast Asia. Islands such as Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Taiwan, Japan and Cyprus do not have rabies. It is classified under zoonotic diseases (zoonotic means related to animals).

Causes of Rabies

Rabies in humans is caused by the bite of a rabid animal. The virus spreads through animal saliva. Farm animals such as dogs, cows, horses, goats, rabbits and wild animals such as jackals, bats, coyotes, foxes and hyenas can spread rabies. In India, stray dogs are the most likely source of infection, as pets are vaccinated.

Handling rabies virus in the laboratory, exploring caves that may harbor bats, or camping in the presence of wild animals are common situations in which a rabid animal bite occurs.

Human-to-human transmission has not been documented. If a rabid animal licks an open wound on a person, the virus can be transmitted. Head and neck injuries are more dangerous because the infection can quickly reach the brain.

Rabies Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of rabies are not seen until late in the course of the disease, by which time the virus has spread to the brain causing encephalitis, followed by death.

Rabies has an incubation period, which means that it lies dormant in a person's body for a few days before signs and symptoms appear. Initial symptoms are headache, sore throat, fever and convulsions at the site of the bite.

Symptoms such as excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, fear of water due to difficulty swallowing, anxiety, confusion, insomnia and even partial paralysis and sometimes coma indicate rabies.

Individuals are intolerant to noise, light and even cold drafts of air. Fear of air (aerophobia) occurs.

Rabies Treatment

Immediately after an animal bite or scratch, the wound should be washed thoroughly with soap and water for at least 15 minutes. It is best to clean afterwards with 70% ethanol, iodine, povidone-iodine or other antiseptic. After that, the patient should be taken to the nearest hospital without delay.

Even if the dog is a household or neighborhood pet or known and has normal behavior, that dog must be tied and observed for 10 days. If the animal is healthy after 10 days there is generally no cause for alarm. Because, a rabid dog or animal behaves like a madman.

If the dog appears rabid or is unfamiliar, or cannot be observed for 10 days, an anti-rabies vaccination should be administered within 24 hours under the supervision and advice of a physician.

There are currently several high-quality vaccines available to prevent rabies. They must comply with the rules. Depending on the type of bite or scratch, rabies immunoglobulin, rabies vaccine should be given.

Pets should be vaccinated against rabies.

Persons at risk of rabies, such as laboratory and veterinary workers, should receive rabies vaccine.

Rabies Vaccine

Patients usually die within a week of the onset of symptoms. No antiviral drugs can work against this virus. There is no effective treatment for rabies except some palliative treatments. However, there is an effective vaccine against rabies, which can prevent death if administered before symptoms appear.

There are two types of vaccine for rabies. Depending on the severity and frequency of lesions, some require one type of vaccine, while others require both. The sooner this rabies vaccine is administered, the better. A total of 6 doses of vaccine are usually administered on days 3, 7, 14, 28 and 90 after the first day of vaccination. The vaccine is given under the skin around the navel. The vaccination course must be completed by receiving all doses of the vaccine on time.

Animals such as rats, rabbits, squirrels, and guinea pigs do not usually transmit rabies, so rabies vaccination is not required if bitten by such animals. Veterinarians, zookeepers, people living in or traveling to high-risk areas, and those who keep dogs or cats at home are vaccinated against rabies. Such persons are given three doses of vaccine on days 0, 7 and 21 or 28 and a booster dose annually.

Diagnosis of Rabies

If you are bitten by a stray dog ​​or wild animal, it is wise that the animal has rabies and the person should be vaccinated immediately to save his life. If the animal is a pet and it can be verified from the owner or veterinarian that the animal is not rabid, only in this case the person has not been vaccinated. Securing or capturing the animal after biting a person is extremely helpful because the animal can be turned over to a local agency to determine if it has rabies.

Your doctor will ask you to describe the animal's behavior (was it friendly or angry) because wild animals are unlikely to be friendly to humans. He or she will also confirm how you got the bite and what happened to the animal – did it run away or was it caught? If the animal is caught, it can be tested for signs of rabies and if found healthy, the victim can be spared vaccination shots.