RABIES:Fatal disease of humans and animals

                                       What is rabies?

       Rabies is a viral zoonotic disease.A zoonotic disease means that, if an animal (more

   specifically warm-blooded mammals in the case of rabies) has the disease, it can pass it on to

   humans. So if a dog has rabies, and it bites a human, it can pass the disease on to the human.

       Mostly the victims of the dog bites are under the age of 15.

             NOTE : One person dies of rabies somewhere around the world every ten minutes.

          In most countries with high numbers of deaths caused by rabies, the main warm-blooded animals likely to spread the disease are dogs.

                                                      Way Of Rabies Transmission

•  The rabies virus is primarily transmitted in the saliva when a rabid animal bites another warm blooded mammal.       
•  Scratches from an infected animal can give you rabies because an animal’s claws sometimes  have saliva on them? If an animal has rabies, it often drools excessively, and the saliva drips   on to its claws.

                                                     Targets of rabies virus in body

     The rabies virus effects the central nervous system including the brain and spinal cord of
     humans and animals.
                                                     Appearance of signs after bite

     The person usually shows signs of the disease in 1-3 months, but …they could show signs  in
      less than a week or it could take more than a year.
         The time it takes for signs of rabies to appear depends on:

•   Where the bite is located on the person’s body – the further away from the brain, the longer  the symptoms will take to appear.
•   How severe the bite is.
•   How much rabies virus is deposited into the wound during the bite.

            So, for example, if someone is bitten on their leg, it will usually take longer for the symptoms to appear than if they had been bitten on their shoulder or head.

                                                                Signs of Rabies

      The  signs of rabies can include:

•       Fever        
•       Often pain or an unusual or unexplained tingling, pricking or burning sensation at the site of the bite wound.
•       Fear of bright light, fear of water, aggressive behavior, such as hitting out or biting.
•       Agitation
•       Drooling
•       Headache
•       Hallucinations – seeing or hearing things that are not real.
•       Muscles gradually become paralyzed, starting at the site of the bite or scratch.
•       Excessive sweeting

                                       After a person has been bitten

                                                                 What to do
             A rabies vaccination can only prevent rabies if it is given to the victim before the virus reaches the nervous system. There are no definite external signs of rabies before the virus has  reached the nervous system.There is NO test to diagnose rabies before the symptoms appear.

              If you are bitten by a suspected rabid animal you should wash the bite wound with soap and
        running water (from a tap or poured from a jug) for at least 15 minutes and then go to a clinic
        for further treatment.

               Vaccination after exposure to rabies virus ,PEP, is highly successful in preventing the
        disease if administered promptly ,in general within 6 days of infection. Begun administration
        with little or no delay ,PEP is 100% effective against rabies.

     NOTE : The vaccination cannot cure rabies once the clinical symptoms appear in the victim.
         
                          Vaccinating dogs is the most effective way to prevent rabies in humans
                                                           
                                                                  Killing of Dogs
                    Killing dogs does not prevent or control rabies. An estimated 20 million dogs are killed    every year to try and control rabies, but it has little effect on controlling the disease.

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