Rabies is a brain and nerve system infection caused by a virus. It is transmitted by rabid animals biting humans. The incubation period of the virus, or the time between infection and the beginning of symptoms, is rather long: approximately two months on average. Rabies vaccination is effective even when administered after infection because of the virus’s prolonged incubation period. Once symptoms begin to manifest, the disease advances mercilessly and unabatedly.
What are the symptoms of rabies?
Rabies symptoms include fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, and headache. After a week, these symptoms, which include disorientation, hallucinations, strange behavior, hyperactivity, and difficulty swallowing, deteriorate. The terminal stage of rabies is characterized by paralysis, unconsciousness, and, ultimately, death. Click here if you suspect that your pet has rabies.
How is rabies transmitted?
Rabies is transmitted via direct contact with the saliva of an infected animal. While any mammal can contract rabies, the most common carriers in the United States are raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. Rabies is transmitted through the bite of a diseased animal. Rabies can also be transmitted via licking an open wound, cut, or scratch and by licking an infected animal’s mouth, eyes, or nose. Petting a rabid animal will not cause rabies to be transmitted.
If a rabid animal bites you or a family member, treat the wound properly immediately and contact the local health authority or an infectious disease specialist (at a hospital) to determine which animals in the area are prone to spread rabies.
How should someone who has been bitten by a potentially rabid animal be treated?
Those bitten by a potentially rabid animal should receive the following treatment:
- With soap and water, gently cleanse the wound.
- Administer rabies immune globulin (RIG),* a serum preparation taken from patients with elevated blood anti-rabies antibody levels. RIG should be injected into and around the incision to inhibit the rabies virus from adhering to the neurological system.
- Immediately begin the rabies vaccine protocol.
- Ask animal control for assistance.
When is rabies vaccination not necessary?
- If the animal (for example, a dog or cat) has been observed or dwells in the region for ten days, it can be observed to determine if it behaves normally.
- -After ten days, if the animal shows no signs of rabies, no treatment is necessary.
Additionally, animals that have been vaccinated against rabies are unlikely to transfer the disease, providing even another incentive to ensure that your animals are rabies-vaccinated.Visit HeartOfSuwaneeAnimalHosp.com if your vaccinated pet needs boarding.
Rabies is not spread by mice, rats, squirrels, rabbits, birds, or chipmunks. There is no proof that reptiles, amphibians, or fish have acquired or spread rabies.
When is rabies vaccination necessary?
- If no one knows the animal and it cannot be observed, or if the animal is discovered in a country where rabid animals are prevalent, treatment should begin immediately.
- Treatment should begin immediately if the animal develops any signs of rabies within ten days of observation (such as strange or unusual behavior).
Rabies may be transmitted by raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats. Rabies can be spread through unvaccinated companion animals, such as cats and dogs. That is why it is always essential to regularly take your pet to a suwanee pet hospital.
Conclusion
While vaccination will help prevent deaths, it will never be enough to eradicate the disease, and expenses will continue to climb over time. The most cost-effective solution is to invest in eradicating rabies at its source. Vaccinating at least 70% of dogs in high-risk areas has been largely accepted as the most effective prevention of human rabies death.