What is rabies? How is this disease transmitted? You will find answers to the questions below. We will also tell you about the manifestations of this disease, its prevention and treatment.
General information about the disease
What is rabies (how is this disease transmitted, many people know)? According to experts, this is an infectious disease. The causative agent of rabies is the Rabies virus, which belongs to the genus Lyssavirus and the family Rhabdoviridae.
Another name for the disease in question sounds like “rabies”. Previously, this disease was called hydrophobia, or hydrophobia.
The causative agent of rabies - the Rabies virus - contributes to the development of specific encephalitis, that is, inflammation of the brain in humans and animals.
Features of viral disease
Until 2005, such a disease was considered fatal to humans. There was no reliable evidence of a cure for this disease after the onset of symptoms at that time. Today, a free rabies vaccine, made immediately after a possible infection, effectively prevents the further spread of the virus.
In 2005, for the first time, a case of a complete cure of a person from this disease at the stage of manifestation of its symptoms was recorded. So, by 2012, 5 out of 37 people were cured by the vaccination method.
Rabies: how it is transmitted to humans
The name of the disease in question comes from the word "demon". This is due to the fact that in ancient times people believed that the cause of this disease is the obsession of an animal or person with evil spirits. By the way, the Latin name of the disease mentioned - "rabies" has the same meaning.
So what is rabies? How is this disease transmitted? Experts report that the causative agent of this disease is transmitted to humans through saliva when they bite sick animals. Further, the virus spreads through nerve fibers and reaches the salivary glands, brain cells, bulbar centers and the hippocampus. Hitting them, it causes severe violations.
Scientific studies have shown that rabies virus is found in the saliva of an animal during attacks of rage and 2 days before the onset of any symptoms of the disease. However, there were cases when, even 9-14 days before the appearance of signs in the animal, infection from it already occurred.
The most dangerous animal bites
The case of rabies after a bite in humans is not very common. But even without the manifestation of any signs of the disease, a preventive vaccination should be given. After all, absolutely all bitten people are at risk of infection.
Few people know, but the danger of bites can depend on several factors, including:
- The location. The most dangerous are bites in the neck and head. From these places, the rabies virus is able to migrate faster to the brain, as a result of which its incubation period, as well as the first phase of the disease, pass almost instantly.
- Features of the bite. In the event that rabies vectors have bitten a person on a exposed part of the body, then the possibility of contracting the virus is much higher than when bitten through clothing. By the way, the latter is able to delay the pathogen.
- Type of animal. The most dangerous for humans are bites of wolves.
It should also be noted that in addition to bites, infection with the virus in question can occur in another way. For example, cases of transmission of a pathogen are known when a dog licked a person’s skin, on which there were fresh wounds and scratches.
Another possible route of infection is the autopsy of animals or people who have died from rabies.
Is it possible to get infected from a person
Rabies is very rarely transmitted from person to person. This can only happen if, in a fit of rage, the patient attacks a healthy person, as a result of which his saliva will fall onto the skin of the latter.
There is also a low likelihood of infection by inhalation of aerosols that contain rabies virus particles.
Despite the prevailing opinion, the causative agent of the disease in question cannot pass to a person by eating raw meat from infected animals.
How rabies is manifested
Specialists distinguish 3 main stages of the disease in question.
This period usually lasts 1-3 days and is manifested by headache, fever, loss of appetite and fatigue. An infected person has neuralgia along the nerves that are close to the site of the bite. Also in this area there is an increased sensitivity of the skin and slight twitching of muscle tissue.
This stage lasts about 5-7 days. It manifests itself as temporary bouts of excessive excitement (psychomotor), and is also expressed by a sharp increased sensitivity to even minor irritants of the senses (for example, to bright light, various sounds, noise, etc.).
Patients become very violent and aggressive. They have hallucinations, a sense of fear, delirium, paresis, cramps and paralysis of muscle tissue. In addition, the stage of excitement is accompanied by fever and body temperature up to 40 degrees. In the process of the development of the disease, seizures are observed more often, and interictal periods are significantly shortened.
At this stage, all the above signs are joined by symptoms of damage to the cranial nerves (including paresis of the facial nerve, diplopia, paresis of the facial muscles). Paralysis of the eye muscles and swallowing reflexes are also observed.
Salivation along with impaired swallowing process leads to the appearance of foam in the mouth. This is a characteristic feature for all patients with rabies.
It should be noted that in half of cases in infected people and animals there is a fear of water. When drinking fluid, patients experience involuntary and sharp contractions of the diaphragm, as well as other respiratory muscles.
The duration of the disease in question is 50-55 days. Sometimes this period can be shortened to two weeks. Typically, the death of an animal or person occurs due to respiratory arrest due to damage to the respiratory apparatus.
Treatment of rabies in animals and humans
Nobivak Rabies is an inactivated vaccine that is a prophylactic for immunizing healthy animals against rabies. A single injection allows you to create active immunity in cats and dogs for up to three years, in sheep, horses, goats and cattle - up to two years, and in minks, foxes and ferrets - up to one year.
The buildup of immunity after administration of the Nobivak Rabies vaccine usually occurs on the 21st day.
As for people, they treat rabies in intensive care units. An important role is played by first aid to the victim. The bitten person is given an injection on the same day when he went to the clinic.
The modern purified vaccine (KOKAV) makes it possible to significantly reduce the treatment course and reduce the dose administered once .
Such injections are given to children on the outer surface of the thigh, and on adolescents and adults to the deltoid muscle.
The effect of the injected solution reaches 98%. But this is only if the injection was made no later than 2 weeks after the bite.
Rabies prophylaxis
If a dog bites a victim, immediately wash the wound with soapy water, then treat it with hydrogen peroxide and turn to the emergency room. Do not delay the appeal to the doctor. Indeed, as mentioned above, vaccination will be effective only if it was given no later than two weeks from the moment of injury.
If possible, it is recommended to watch the dog for 10 days. Vaccination can be safely stopped if the dog has not died during this time, and also the main symptoms of rabies have not appeared .