Rabies In Humans
Rabies in humans occurs when people are bitten by an animal that is infected by the rabies virus. Even though many advances have been made in prevention and treatment, rabies is almost always fatal in humans who get the virus and are not treated for it.
Prevention is the key to dealing with rabies, because the treatment is often painful, although it is almost always successful. You need to recognize the symptoms and get help immediately, in order for the treatment to be effective.
Rabies in humans is very rare in the United States. Exposure to a rabid animal doesn't always result in contraction of the rabies virus. People normally contract rabies after exposure to the saliva or nervous tissue of an animal who is infected with rabies. There have also been several cases of human-to-human transmission when corneas from an infected person were used for transplants.
Rabies in humans can occur without people being aware of it, but these instances are generally rare, such as a person is who is bitten while they sleep, by a rabid bat. Bats' teeth sometimes don't leave puncture wounds that are readily visible.
Early symptoms of the disease in humans include headache, irritability and fever. You may also experience itching or pain at the site of the bite. The incubation period for rabies in humans varies between two and eight weeks, but has been known to last over one year in rare cases.
Treatment for rabies in humans begins with thorough washing of the infection site with soap and water. The medical treatment is one injection of rabies immune globulin as soon as possible, followed by five doses of rabies vaccine given within the first month after infection occurred.
You can help prevent rabies by avoiding any contact with wild or stray animals, whether they appear to be infected or not. And be sure to keep your own pets vaccinated – this includes dogs, cats, ferrets, horses and any other pet that is susceptible to the disease. The initial vaccine is good for a year, and further vaccines are effective for up to three years.
If your pets are too young to vaccinate, make sure they stay indoors. Vaccinating your pets is the best first line of defense against their getting rabies – and you getting rabies. Encourage your children to stay away from stray and wild animals, because their first instinct may normally be to approach small animals.
If you notice a wild animal on your property, let it take its time to wander away. Don't try to shoo it away or lure it closer, for feeding or petting. Bring children and pets inside for as long as the wild animal is in the yard.
Be sure to report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to the health authority in your county or city. If you think an animal is infected and it has exposed someone to rabies, try not to let the animal escape. Most animals can be observed or tested for rabies, and if they test negative, you or your child can eliminate the need for the injections.
Animals most likely to carry the virus and pose a risk of rabies in humans include raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats and coyotes. Rabies infection is very rare in small rodents like chipmunks, squirrels, rats and mice.
Vigilance in preventing rabies in humans is the most important step. Know how you can be infected, and eliminate those situations whenever possible.