Rabies, known as hydrophobia, is an acute viral infection almost always fatal. It is transmitted by farm or wild animals, usually carnivores such as dogs, cats, foxes, and raccoons. It is found mainly in Africa and parts of Southeast Asia.
It is also called hydrophobia or crazy disease. Water rabies is called water rabies because the affected patient becomes frightened when he sees or remembers water. It is caused by the animal-borne rabies virus, and after symptoms appear, the patient has almost no chance of survival.
It is classified under zoonotic diseases (zoonotic means related to animals).
One person every 10 minutes, and approximately 55,000 people die of rabies worldwide every year.
Not only people but about 25 thousand cattle are affected by rabies in the country every year. Rabies Day is celebrated every September 28 in different countries under the Global Alliance for Rabies Control initiative to raise awareness of the disease.
The main slogan of the day is Jalatanka: Don’t fear—know the truth.
The bite of a rabid animal causes rabies in humans. The virus spreads through animal saliva. Farm animals such as dogs, cows, horses, goats, and rabbits, and wild animals such as jackals, bats, coyotes, foxes, and hyenas can spread rabies.
Handling the rabies virus in the laboratory, exploring caves that may harbor bats, or camping in areas where wild animals are present are common situations in which a rabid animal bite occurs.
Human-to-human transmission has not been documented. Head and neck injuries are more dangerous because the infection can quickly reach the brain.
Symptoms usually appear within 2 to 3 months after an infected animal bites a healthy person. However, this period can be from one week to one year.
Apart from the fear of water, some abnormalities are also seen in the behaviour of the person suffering from rabies. Along with abnormal speech and expression, the affected person may exhibit symptoms such as aimless wandering, loss of appetite, reluctance to eat, distorted voice, hoarseness, irritability, and a tendency to attack or bite others without provocation.
Patients usually die within a week of the onset of symptoms. No antiviral drugs can work against this virus. There is no effective treatment for rabies except some palliative therapies. However, there is an effective vaccine against rabies, which can prevent death if administered before symptoms appear.
Animals such as rats, rabbits, squirrels, and guinea pigs do not usually transmit rabies, so rabies vaccination is not required if you are bitten by one.
Rabies antigen can be detected using a small skin tissue sample and immunofluorescence. The virus can also be isolated from an infected patient’s saliva.
So, as soon as any animal bites you, you should consult your nearest doctor.
