What is Rabies?
Rabies is an acute viral disease of the nervous system of warm-blooded animals that is usually transmitted by the bite of a rabid animal; rabies is fatal if the virus reaches the brain. After reaching the infection in the central nervous system and symptoms begin to show, the untreated infection is normally fatal within days.
Causes of Rabies
Rabies is spread by infected saliva that enters the body through a bite or wound. The virus travels from the broken skin to the brain, where it causes inflammation or swelling and it leads to symptoms of the disease.
Most rabies deaths usually occur in children. Some other wild animals that can spread the rabies virus include skunks and foxes. Seldom, rabies has been transmitted without an actual bite. This is considered to have been caused by infected saliva that has gotten into the air.
Symptoms of Rabies
The actual time between infection and the incubation period ranges from 10 days to 7 years. The average incubation period is between 3 to 7 weeks. Rabies symptoms include Pain at the site of the bite, exaggerated sensation at the bite site, muscle spasms, numbness and tingling, restlessness, loss of feeling in an area of the body, loss of muscle function, drooling, low-grade fever, anxiety, stress, and tension, excitability, convulsions and swallowing difficulty.
Treatment for Rabies
Wash the wound well with soap and water, and seek professional medical help. You will need help of a doctor to thoroughly clean the wound and remove any foreign objects. Most of the time, stitches are not used for animal bite wounds. If there is any risk of rabies, you will get a series of a preventive vaccine. This is usually given in five doses over 28 days.
Most of the patients also receive a treatment called human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG). This is given on the same day the bite occurred. Till now, there is no known effective treatment for people with symptoms of a rabies infection.
Write a Comment