Rabies is an acute viral infection. Rabid animals usually stop eating and drinking, and may appear to want to be left alone. Because it can be fatal, rabies should be considered extremely dangerous. Therefore, it is important to prevent exposure to the rabies virus whenever possible. In Europe the virus is mainly carried by the fox. Each year a few people die of rabies in the United States. Most deaths occur because the person didn't seek medical assistance. People are most often infected by the bite of a dog, bat or monkey.

Rabies is one of the few diseases that can be easily spread from animal to human. And while it is of utmost importance that pet owners protect their animals from rabies so they do not lose the animal itself, it is even more important that they vaccinate in order to protect any people that may come into contact with their pet.

Rabies Symptoms

Rabies is caused by a virus that causes acute inflammation of the brain in warm-blooded creatures, including humans. This disease can be fatal if proper anti-rabies medication is not administered before the disease manifests itself.

Dogs, monkeys, squirrels and almost any warm-blooded animal transmit rabies.

It is important to recognize and know what to do when rabies symptoms appear.

This disease is a zoonotic disease meaning that it is transmitted from one animal to another by a bite or contact where body fluids can be exchanged. However, people have been known to contract Rabies just by rubbing hands on the fur of an affected animal and transferring the virus from the animal's coat to their mouth in some manner.

When the rabies virus enters the blood it begins to make its way to the central nervous system from where it travels to the brain, all the time reproducing. This incubation period could take between 40 days to two months. When it reaches the brain it is almost always fatal with death occurring within days.

On suspicion of being bitten by a rabid animal, mostly a dog, anti-rabies vaccination should be administered within 24 hours if possible.

Hydrophobia is perhaps on of the most common rabies symptoms. However, other symptoms may occur individually or all at once. In the beginning there will be a lot of pain in the joints accompanied by high fever and malaise. This is when the disease can be treated. When rabies symptoms include violent, jerky movements, excitement that is uncontrollable, and bouts of depression treatment will have to be in hospital under expert medical care - but even then chances of survival can be difficult.

In the final stages of rabies patients will go through short bouts of mania and a lot of lethargy and finally go into a coma from where they will never return.

Rabies symptoms in humans:

o Flu-like symptoms
o Paralysis
o Cerebral dysfunction
o Anxiety
o Insomnia
o Confusion
o Agitation
o Abnormal behavior
o Paranoia
o Terror
o Hallucination
o Delirium
o Inability to speak or swallow
o Paralyzed jaw and throat

Treatment of Rabies

Here is list of the methods for treating Rabies:

A series of vaccinations after exposure can prevent the disease.

Clean the wound well with soap and water, and seek professional medical help.

Immune globulins are disease-fighting proteins that provide you with temporary antibodies.

If the animal has the potential for rabies and is unavailable for sacrifice and examination, then you will be given rabies shots in the emergency department.

Injection of the vaccine will begin during this initial visit to the emergency department and will proceed on a schedule over the next 28 days, with a total of 5 small injections.

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