Rabies

 

Just the word will strike fear in the hearts of most people. Knowing how to avoid exposure, and what to do if you get bitten, and what you can do to prevent it has saved many people. Fortunately, rabies is the only disease that can be vaccinated for after someone has been exposed to the disease. This fact alone has saved many lives.

The dog is the most prominent carrier of rabies world wide, and especially in undeveloped countries. But in the United States, wild animals are the most common carrier. The fox is the major carrier in the east, and the skunk is the most common reservoir for infection in the Midwest. Bats and raccoons also serve as a source of rabies throughout the United States. In 1999 there were 111 cases of rabies reported in dogs and 278 cases reported in cats. There were no human cases of rabies in the United States in 1999. But five people died from it in 2000.

Signs of rabies in dogs are characterized by nerve and behavioral disorders. These may develop in a few days to several months after being bitten. In the early stages, dogs may appear anxious and nervous and have acute personality changes. Two to three days after these changes, the dog develops either a furious or a paralytic form of rabies. Paralysis usually starts in one or more limbs and progresses throughout the whole body. Paralysis of the muscles in the throat often develops first, resulting in an inability to drink water. Death usually occurs within 10 days of onset of these signs.

 

Major signs of rabies in cats include subtle behavior changes such as aggressiveness, and dizziness, and increase howling. These signs may not start in the cat until 2-12 weeks after being bitten.

 

Rabies is a fatal infection if it is not treated before the person starts to shows signs of it. Avoiding exposure to rabid or potentially rabid animals can prevent human rabies. People, who are bitten, should wash the wound thoroughly and seek immediate medical attention. If a bite from a rabid or an unknown animal has occurred, the person will be vaccinated in order to prevent him from getting the disease.

Over the past 100 years, the incidence of rabies in the United States has changed dramatically. More than 90 % of all reported cases are now in wild animals. Before 1960 the majority were in domestic animals. As a result, the number of cases of human rabies has declined dramatically from over 100 a year in 1900, to one or two cases annually now.

The number one cause for this dramatic decrease in human rabies is due to municipal ordinances requiring rabies vaccination of all domestic pets. Therefore, it is extremely important to have your pets vaccinated annually or, as required by law to prevent the spread of rabies.