14 Facts about Rabies You should Know
14 Facts about Rabies You should Know
By: Arlene Gentallan
Rabies is a disease caused by rabies virus which affects the central nervous sytem. Here are the facts you should know:
1. Rabies is fatal. Once symptoms of rabies appears, it's usually too late to treat it. The victim usually dies.
2. The nearer the bite site to the brain, the earlier the symptoms of rabies appears.
3. Early symptoms of rabies includes a tingling sensation at the area of the animal bite, fever, headache, bodyache, malaise, nausea, loss of appetite. As the disease progress, symptoms worsens: muscle spasm, difficulty speaking, irritability, confusion, hallucination, aggressiveness, double vision, difficulty breathing, hydrophobia (fear of water), hypersalivation, paralysis, coma.
4. Humans are infected with rabies through saliva of an infected animal transmitted through bite, scratch or lick to an open wound or mucous membrane.
5. Worldwide, the most common animal that infects humans with rabies is dog. Bats, cats, cattle, coyotes ,ferrets, foxes, goats, horses, mongoose, monkeys, raccoons, skunks, and wolves are also known carrier of rabies virus.
6. In america, rabies is most commonly transmitted by bats.
7. Rats, mice, chipmunks, guinea pigs, hamsters, squirrels and other small rodents are usually not infected with rabies.
8. You can contract rabies from an infected person.
9. The incubation period or the length of time for the symptoms to occur can be as fast as few days to as long as 1 year after exposure to an infected animal.
10. Rabies is classified as a neglected tropical disease.
11. Once bitten, immediately wash the area with soap and water for 15 minutes then go to your health provider.
12. Rabies shot (rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine), if given as soon as possible after a person is bitten / exposed to an infected animal provides an effective cure against this fatal disease.
13. Only the following countries from Asia are considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as rabies-free: British Indian Ocean Territory, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau SAR, Maldives, and Singapore.
14. Antarctica, the fifth largest continent, is the only continent that's rabies-free.
Resource:
Rabies-Free Countries and Political Units. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/importation/rabies-free-countries.html
10 facts on rabies. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/rabies
By: Arlene Gentallan
 |
| 14 Facts about Rabies You should Know |
Rabies is a disease caused by rabies virus which affects the central nervous sytem. Here are the facts you should know:
1. Rabies is fatal. Once symptoms of rabies appears, it's usually too late to treat it. The victim usually dies.
2. The nearer the bite site to the brain, the earlier the symptoms of rabies appears.
3. Early symptoms of rabies includes a tingling sensation at the area of the animal bite, fever, headache, bodyache, malaise, nausea, loss of appetite. As the disease progress, symptoms worsens: muscle spasm, difficulty speaking, irritability, confusion, hallucination, aggressiveness, double vision, difficulty breathing, hydrophobia (fear of water), hypersalivation, paralysis, coma.
4. Humans are infected with rabies through saliva of an infected animal transmitted through bite, scratch or lick to an open wound or mucous membrane.
5. Worldwide, the most common animal that infects humans with rabies is dog. Bats, cats, cattle, coyotes ,ferrets, foxes, goats, horses, mongoose, monkeys, raccoons, skunks, and wolves are also known carrier of rabies virus.
6. In america, rabies is most commonly transmitted by bats.
7. Rats, mice, chipmunks, guinea pigs, hamsters, squirrels and other small rodents are usually not infected with rabies.
8. You can contract rabies from an infected person.
9. The incubation period or the length of time for the symptoms to occur can be as fast as few days to as long as 1 year after exposure to an infected animal.
10. Rabies is classified as a neglected tropical disease.
11. Once bitten, immediately wash the area with soap and water for 15 minutes then go to your health provider.
12. Rabies shot (rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine), if given as soon as possible after a person is bitten / exposed to an infected animal provides an effective cure against this fatal disease.
13. Only the following countries from Asia are considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as rabies-free: British Indian Ocean Territory, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau SAR, Maldives, and Singapore.
14. Antarctica, the fifth largest continent, is the only continent that's rabies-free.
Resource:
Rabies-Free Countries and Political Units. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/importation/rabies-free-countries.html
10 facts on rabies. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/rabies
