RABIES

A rabid man

Rabies is a typical example of a zoonotic disease. This simply means that the disease is usually transmitted from animals to human beings. This disease is caused by a bullet-shaped virus (called Rhabdovirus). An animal or human that has the rabies disease is said to be Rabid

The rabies virus is found in the saliva of an infected animal, and is thus transmitted when the animal bites an uninfected human. The disease can also be spread when infected saliva gets into an open wound or the mucous membranes, such as the mouth or eyes. This is mostly likely to occur if an infected animal licks an open cut on your skin.

Animals that can transmit the rabies virus to humans are: Dogs, Cats, Goats, Cows, Rabbits, Horses, Bats, Foxes, Wolves, Monkeys, Coyotes etc. Except in rare cases where the virus was transmitted from human-to-human through infected tissue and organ transplant, there is no known case of direct human-to-human transmission of the rabies virus.

Using the peripheral nerves (i.e. nerves apart from those found in the brain and spinal cord), the rabies virus travels to the brain. This period of travelling is known as the incubation period and it ranges from a few weeks to months depending on the distance the virus needs to travel to get to the brain. As soon as the virus gets to the brain, the signs and symptoms of the disease start to manifest. At this stage, it is almost untreatable, very fatal and death results within 2 to 10 days.

Signs and symptoms of the disease include: Headache, fever, confusion, agitation, anxiety, excess salivation, difficulty in swallowing, gross hydrophobia (i.e. fear of water), hallucinations, insomnia, partial paralysis, drooling, convulsions, and muscle spasms

Due to the fatality associated with this disease, immediate treatment should be commenced on a person who has been bitten by any of the animals know to transmit the virus. Even though the animal has not been confirmed to have the disease, to be on the safe side, it is still advised that treatment is commenced immediately. Besides, treatment measures will be effective if started on time.

Rabies treatment involves administering the bitten person with a series of shot. These include:

- A fast acting shot (Rabies immune globulin) to prevent the virus from initiating the infection process. Part of this injection is given near the area where the animal bite occurred

- A series of rabies vaccine to enable the body identify and fight the rabies virus. These vaccines are given as injections in the arm 5 times over a period of 14 days 

Prevention of this disease is usually much easier than its treatment due to its fatality. The easiest and most effective preventive measure is to ensure that every animal is rabies-free. 

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