Rabies:
■■■What is Rabies?
Rabies is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain in humans and other mammals.
Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. In the United States, rabies is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes.
However, in many other countries dogs still carry rabies, and most rabies deaths in people around the world are caused by dog bites.
■■■TRANSMISSION of Virus::
It is passed on through saliva. Rabies can develop if a person receives a bite from an infected animal, or if saliva from an infected animal gets into an open wound or through a mucous membrane, such as the eyes or mouth.
It cannot pass through unbroken skin.
■■■How Rabies virus affect body ?
The virus can affect the body in one of two ways:
It enters the peripheral nervous system (PNS) directly and migrates to the brain.
It replicates within muscle tissue, where it is safe from the host’s immune system.
From here, it enters the nervous system through the neuromuscular junctions.
Once inside the nervous system, the virus produces acute inflammation of the brain. Coma and death soon follow.
■■■Following are symptoms of rabies in dogs
●Pica
●Fever
●Seizures
●Paralysis
●Hydrophobia
●Jaw is dropped
●Inability to swallow
●Change in tone of bark
●Muscular lack of coordination
●Unusual shyness or aggression
●Excessive excitability
●Constant irritability/changes in attitude and behavior
●Excessive salivation (hypersalivation), or frothy saliva
■■■ Symptoms of Rabies in people’s
●insomnia
●anxiety
●confusion
●agitation
●hallucinations
●excess salivation
●problems swallowing
●fear of water
■■■ Prevention :::
●Vaccinate your pets.
●Keep your pets from roaming outside.
●Report stray animals to animal control.
●Avoid contact with wild animals.
●Prevent bats from entering living spaces or other structures near your home.
■■■ Treatment in Dogs
There is no treatment once symptoms appears dogs suspected of rabies virus are often euthanised
