What is Rabies?

Rabies is a viral disease. A virus that is transmitted to human through bites of

rabid mammals. Its mainly a disease found in both domestic and wild animals
raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats, and squirrel.
(small dark-grey rod-like particles
Once rabies virus gets into human body, the virus travels through nerves to the
brain causing several diseases and death.
How long is the incubation period?
Usually 1-2 months depending on which part of the body the person was bitten. Ranges
from 10 days to a year or longer

How it is diagnosed?
In animals, rabies is diagnosed using the direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) test, which
looks for the presence of rabies virus antigens in brain tissue.
In humans, several tests are required.
What are the symptoms in animals and humans?
In animals Aggressive, over friendly, Hypersalivation
Micrograph with numerous rabies viruses (small dark-grey rod-like particles) and Negri
bodies, larger cellular inclusions typical of Rabies infectionThe stereotypical image of an
infected ("rabid") animal is a dog foaming at the mouth; however cats, ferrets, raccoons,
skunks, foxes, wolves, coyotes, bears, and bats can also become rabid. Squirrels,
chipmunks, other rodents (except beavers) and rabbits are very seldom infected, perhaps
because they would not usually survive an attack by a rabid animal. Rabies may also be
present in a so-called "paralytic" form, rendering the infected animal unnaturally quiet
and withdrawn.
In human
Fever, headache, and malaise. As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear
and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation,
hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation (increase in saliva), difficulty swallowing, and
hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these
symptoms.
Post-exposure treatment
Wash the wound with soap and water then followed by on dose of rabies immune
globulin and five doses of the rabies vaccine
Intramuscular schedules
One dose of the vaccine should be administered on days 0, 3, 7, 14 and 30. All
intramuscular injections must be given into the deltoid region or, in small children, into
the anterolateral area of the thigh muscle. Vaccine should never be administered in the
gluteal region.

Abbreviated multisite schedule

In the abbreviated multisite schedule, the 2-1-1 regimen, one dose is given in the right
arm and one dose in the left arm at day 0, and one dose applied in the deltoid muscle on
days 7 and 21. The 2-1-1 schedule induces an early antibody response and may be
particularly effective when post-exposure treatment does not include administration of
rabies immunoglobulin.

the treatment consists of a regimen of one dose of immunoglobulin and five doses of
rabies vaccine over a 28-day period
Pre-exposure vaccination for high-risk individuals
Some individuals have higher exposure to rabies than others. Laboratory staff,
veterinarians, animal handlers and wildlife officers have high-risk exposure to live virus.
Toddlers and children living in highly endemic areas are also recognized as high-risk.
These individuals are strongly suggested to have three doses of vaccine on days 0, 7 and
28.

Currently pre-exposure immunization has been in domesticated and wild animal

populations. In many jurisdictions, domestic dogs, cats, and ferrets are required to be
vaccinated. A new, orally active, genetically recombined virus vaccine for raccoon rabies
awaits licensing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as of 2006. A gene that produces a
protein in the rabies virus outer coat was inserted into a live vaccinia virus using
recombinant DNA technology. When the modified vaccinia virus infects a wild animal, it
produces the antigenic protein normally made by the rabies virus. The wild animal's body
recognizes the protein as foreign, and the animal develops active immunity. The plan for
immunization of wild populations involves dropping bait containing food wrapped
around a small dose of the live virus. The bait would be dropped by helicopter
concentrating on areas that have not been infected yet.

A pre-exposure vaccination is also available for humans, most commonly given to

veterinarians and those traveling to parts of the world where the disease is common, such
as India. (Most tourists would not need such a vaccination, just those doing substantial
outdoor non-urban activities.) However, should a vaccinated person be bitten by any
animal possibly having rabies, they must have subsequent post-exposure treatment.
Failure to do so could be fatal. Such post-exposure treatment is far less extensive than
what would normally be required by someone with no pre-exposure vaccination.

http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/health/rabies.html
http://pelotes.jea.com/rabies.htm
http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/health-and-wellness/health-and-fitnessfeatures/4709-rabies-awareness-dog-bites-philippines.html
http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/738/main.html#QuestionsToAskYourDoctorAboutR
abies
http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies
http://www.who.int/rabies/human/postexp/en/