Rabies

By: The Fun Team

What is Rabies?

Rabies is a viral disease that causes inflammation (swelling) of the brain in warmblooded animals.
It affects the central nervous system->causes disease in the brain->death

What are the causes?

Rabies is caused by the rabies virus
It is zoonotic (transmitted by animals)t is zoonotic (transmitted by animals)
Who carries rabies?
Pet and farm animals
Dogs, cats, cows, goats, horses, etc.

Wild animals
Bats, monkeys, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, etc.

How is it spread or
transmitted?

The virus is spread through the bite

and saliva of an infected animal
Once you get the virus, it travels to
the brain and symptoms begin to
show

What are the signs and

symptoms?
EARLY
Fever
Headache
General weakness
Discomfort
As the disease progresses:
Insomnia
Anxiety
Confusion

Mortality Rates
100 percent mortality rate even in developed worlds
Infection causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mostly in Asia and Africa
40% of people who are bitten by suspect rabid animals are children under 15 years of age.
Human rabies cases in the United States are rare, with only 1 to 3 cases reported annually.

Prevention
Vaccinate your pets
Protect small pets from predators
Report stray animals to local authorities
Dont approach wild animals
Keep bats out of your home
Consider the rabies vaccine if youre traveling

Prevention
Eliminating rabies in dogs
Rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease. Vaccinating dogs is the most cost-effective strategy for preventing rabies
in people.
Preventive immunization in people
The same safe and effective vaccines can be used for pre-exposure immunization.
Recommended for travellers spending a lot of time outdoors, especially in rural areas, involved in activities such
as bicycling, camping, or hiking as well as for long-term travellers and expatriates living in areas with a
significant risk of exposure to dog bites.

How is it
treated?

Once you have the infection, there

is no effective treatment because
Rabies is usually fatal but
If youve been bitten by an animal
that is known to have rabies,
you can get series of shot to
prevent the virus from infecting
you
A fast-acting shot can be given near
the site of the bite to prevent the
virus from spreading
Or you can get four injection over 14
days in your arn to help your body
identify the rabies virus and kill it

Rabies is present on all continents except for Antarctica

More than 95% of human deaths occur in Asia and Africa.
Rabies are more common in cats than dogs

References
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs099/en/
http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/index.html