September 28, marked World Rabies Day on the international calendar last week and ER24 wanted to highlight the must-knows of the disease to residents.
Have you been taking your pup for vaccinations? How will you know if your dog may be infected by the disease?
How will I be able to spot the symptoms on a human being? Is it curable? These are the questions that should be popping up in your head when thinking about it possibly affecting you now or anytime future.
What are the symptoms in humans?
The development period for rabies is one to three months. Initial symptoms of rabies include a fever with pain and unusual or unexplained tingling, pricking, or burning sensation at the wound site (where the dog bit its victim).
As the virus spreads to the central nervous system, progressive and deadly swelling of the brain and spinal cord develops.
There are several kinds of rabies namely:
• Furious rabies: People is when victims show signs of hyperactivity, excitable behaviour, a fear of water and sometimes of drafts of fresh air. You can day within days from a heart attack.
• Paralytic rabies: Muscles become paralysed, starting at the site of the bite or scratch. A coma develops, and eventually, death occurs. The paralytic form of rabies is often misdiagnosed, contributing to the under-reporting of the disease.
Transmission
According to the notice released by ER24, dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans.
People are usually infected following a deep bite or scratch from an animal with rabies.
You can also transmit the disease if you have an open wound that comes into direct contact with infectious material e.g. saliva. You can avoid the disease by vaccinating your dogs and prevention of dog bites.
Before being bitten?
Human rabies vaccines exist for pre-exposure immunisation and are recommended for travellers to rabies-affected remote areas.
What happens when I’m already infected?
The immediate treatment of a bite victim after rabies exposure prevents virus entry into the central nervous system.
The treatment is:
• Extensive washing and local treatment of the wound as soon as possible after exposure
• A course of strong and effective rabies vaccine that meets World Health Organization (WHO) standards
• The management of rabies immunoglobulin, if indicated Effective treatment soon after exposure can prevent the onset of rabies.
If you want more information on the disease you can go on the www.who.int/rabies/
Social Media Platforms for News:
Twitter: @SowetoUrban, Facebook: Soweto Urban News, Instagram: @SowetoUrban
News site 1: Westside-Eldos Urban News, News site 2: Soweto Urban News
