Rabies awareness means rabies prevention. Vaccinating companion animals, such as dogs and cats, against rabies for their protection as well as the protection of other family members is vitally important. Rabies is the oldest and deadliest disease known to mankind. Rabies is also 100% preventable.
Rabies is a viral disease that can be transmitted to animals and humans. The disease is transmitted mainly by bite, but exposure may also occur through contamination of broken skin or mucous membranes with saliva from an infected animal. Once neurological symptoms of the disease develop, rabies is fatal to both animals and humans.
The vast population of the Middle East may not be fully aware that rabies, known as daa alkalb (disease of the dog), can be transmitted from other animals besides dogs. Certain countries of the Middle East region are facing increasing problems due to wildlife rabies, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Iran and Turkey. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and golden jackal (Canis aureus) are usually involved. Unless vaccinated, the camels, horses, domestic cats and dogs, and all other mammals of the Middle East are at risk of contracting rabies and passing it on to humans.
There are 50,00055,000 people dying from rabies worldwide each year, with 25,00030,000 human deaths in India alone. That's one person every 10 minutes. Over 3 billion people are at risk of rabies virus infection in over 100 countries in the 21st century!
Rabies and Kids
Rabies is primarily a disease of children, who are particularly at risk from this terrible disease. Rabies kills 1 to 2 children every 30 minutes!
Children are more likely to suffer multiple bites and scratches to the face and head, both of which carry a higher risk of contracting rabies. Children are often unaware of the danger that animals transmit rabies and may not tell their parents when a bite, lick, or scratch has occurred from an infected animal.
The CDC (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention) has a very informative section on rabies. The CDC has also put together a rabies web page just for kids! For help in educating your children about rabies go to Rabies and Kids .
Rabies Signs and Symptoms
Once infection occurs, the rabies virus grows in muscle tissue and may go undetected for several days or months. During this incubation (or latent) period, the animal appears healthy and shows no sign of infection.
Usually within 1 to 3 months, the virus migrates to the nerves near the site of the infection and spreads to the spinal cord and brain (i.e., the central nervous system). It usually takes from 12 to 180 days to spread through the peripheral nerves to the central nervous system. At this point, the disease progresses rapidly, and the animal begins to show the classic behavioral signs of rabies. The virus spreads to the saliva, tears, breast milk, and urine. The animal usually dies in 4 or 5 days. Rabies causes typical symptoms. The infection progresses in a predictable manner, from the initial prodormal phase to the excitative, or furious, phase to the final paralytic phase.
The first sign usually is a change in behavior. Pet owners should be aware that behavioral changes can occur as a result of many conditions, from digestive disorders to poisoning.
Rabid animals usually stop eating and drinking, and may appear to want to be left alone. After the initial onset of symptoms, the animal may become vicious or begin to show signs of paralysis. Some rabid animals bite at the slightest provocation and others may be somnolent and difficult to arouse. Once the animal shows signs of paralysis, the disease progresses very quickly and the animal dies.
Prodromal Phase: First Symptoms of Rabies
The early symptoms of rabies tend to be subtle, last 2 to 3 days, and include the following:
Change in tone of the meow, bark, etc.
Chewing at the bite site
Fever
Loss of appetite
Subtle changes in behavior
The second phase of infection usually lasts 2 to 4 days and not all rabid animals experience it. Animals that enter immediately into the final paralytic phase are sometimes said to have dumb or paralytic rabies. Animals that spend most of their diseased state in the furious phase are sometimes said to have furious rabies. An infected dog may viciously attack any moving object, person, or animal; a caged rabid dog will chew the wire, break their teeth, and try to bite a hand moving in front of the cage. Rabid cats will attack suddenly, biting and scratching. Foxes will invade yards and attack dogs, cows, and porcupines.
They may show the following signs:
Craving to eat anything, including inedible objects
Constant growling
Dilated pupils
Disorientation
Erratic behavior
Episodes of aggression
Facial expression showing anxiety and hyperalertness
Irritability
No fear of natural enemies (e.g., wild animals may not be afraid of people)
Restlessness
Roaming
Seizures
Trembling and muscle incoordination
The third and final phase of infection usually lasts for 2 to 4 days.
Initial symptoms include the following:
Appearance of choking
Dropping of the lower jaw (in dogs)
Inability to swallow, leading to drooling and foaming of saliva (i.e., "foaming at the mouth")
Paralysis of jaw, throat, and chewing muscles
Paralysis then spreads to other parts of the body, the animal becomes depressed, rapidly enters a coma and dies.
Animals in this state drool and walk about with their mouth agape. They are unable to swallow. Owners often think their pets in this condition have some object lodged in their throat. During a period of about a week these animals become more and more paralyzed and finally die.
Many more dogs pass directly into this stage from the prodromal stage, never developing the furious stage of rabies.
Cows in this phase often bellow and extend their necks as if their throat was obstructed. It is common for farmers to attempt to remove a suspected object from these animals throat and in so doing they become exposed to rabies.
Be a responsible pet owner:Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all dogs, cats, and domestic mammals. This is important not only to keep them from getting rabies, but also to provide a barrier of protection for you, if your animal is bitten by a rabid animal. Keep booster shots current.
Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately.
Spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or regularly vaccinated.
Avoid contact with unfamiliar animals:
Enjoy wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes from afar. Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans, uncovered compost bins, or pet food left outside.
Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home.
Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly. "Love your own, leave other animals alone" is a good principle for children to learn.
Prevent bats from entering homes or occupied spaces where they might come in contact with people and pets.
When traveling abroad, avoid contact with wild animals and be especially careful around dogs in developing countries. Rabies is common in parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America where many dogs are infected with rabies. Tens of thousands of people die of rabies each year in these countries. Before traveling abroad, consult with a health care provider about your risk of exposure to rabies, if you should be immunized against rabies before you go, and how you should handle an animal exposure, should it arise.
Simple ways to keep you, your family and your pets safe.1. Do not feed, touch, or handle wild animals.
2. Have dogs, cats, horses, and livestock vaccinated regularly by your veterinarian.
3. Maintain control of your pets by keeping cats indoors and keeping dogs under direct supervision.
4. Spay or neuter your pets to reduce the number of unwanted or stray animals in your community.
rabiesawareness.com
APCRI (Association for the Prevention and Control of Rabies in India)
Mayo Clinic
Human Vaccine Information
Rabies Photos
Alliance for Rabies Control
