Rabies is a very serious disease of viral origin, which in most cases ends with the death of both a person and an animal. Symptoms of rabies are quite diverse, but, in one way or another, are associated with degeneration of the nervous system.
Rabies: A Short Description
As already mentioned, the cause of the disease is rabies virus, which penetrates the human body when bitten, along with the saliva of an infected animal. Both wild animals and pets can be dangerous to humans - most often these are foxes and dogs. But carriers can be bats, cattle, raccoons, wolves, cats, etc. They are considered dangerous, starting from the third day after infection and until death. To distinguish such an animal is quite simple - it has increased secretion of saliva and tears.
The virus is transmitted with saliva and not only during a bite. For example, when saliva of a sick animal enters an open wound or mucous membrane - this, by the way, most often happens with pets. Viral particles can also be transmitted from a sick person - with a kiss or a bite.
Symptoms of rabies
The main and simplest diagnostic method is the analysis of saliva for the content of viral particles.
Once in the human body , the virus penetrates into the fibers of the nervous system and begins to actively spread throughout the body. The incubation period is about a month (although sometimes it can vary from 10 days to 12 months) and depends on the location of the bite - the closer it is to the head, the faster degeneration will begin. During this period, there are no signs - unless a temporary pain in the wound.
Then there is weakness, loss of concentration, loss of appetite, nausea, headache, a slight increase in temperature - these are the first symptoms of rabies and, as a rule, they are not paid attention to. In addition, a runny nose and cough may appear that are taken for a common cold, as well as abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, which are diagnosed as an intestinal infection.
A few days later, the first signs of the nervous system appear. A sick person becomes aggressive, wild, excitable. He always tries to fight or bite someone. Along with this, the appearance of phobias begins, which did not exist before. A person may be afraid of water (this is what happens in almost every case), light, wind, etc. Even at the mention of one word, a panic attack may begin - it becomes difficult for the patient to breathe, convulsions begin. But between these attacks, the person is quite adequate. Quite often, it is at this stage that people die - from heart failure.
If, nevertheless, the person survived the second stage and was not given treatment, paralysis begins. At first, panic attacks disappear , the patient becomes too lethargic and calm - apathy appears, which is replaced by paralysis of the extremities, damage to the spinal nerves, organ failure and death.
Rabies treatment
It is worth noting that if the incubation period is over and the first phase of development has begun, then it is already impossible to stop the disease - in the entire history there are only a few cases of cure for the disease, but only at the initial stage. Therefore, do not wait until the symptoms of rabies appear. If you or someone from your loved ones is bitten by an animal, you must go to the hospital within 14 days, where the doctor will administer the necessary vaccine, designed to strengthen the immune defense. The substance is injected either into the thigh or shoulder five times on certain days after the bite.
Rabies prophylaxis is the introduction of a special vaccine that was first used by Louis Pasteur. This is especially important for those people who keep animals in the house or work with them (for example, dog handlers or trainers).