Rabies Cases in the United States

Rabies Overview

Rabies is a serious viral infection that is immediately associated with the bite or scratch of a stray animal and all injections in the stomach. Usually, by the time symptoms appear, it is too late to protect an infected person. However, a person exposed to rabies can usually be treated effectively if he or she seeks help immediately.

What is rabies?

Rabies, also known as hydrophobia, is a serious viral infection that is almost always fatal. It falls under the category of infectious diseases and is spread by farm or wild animals, usually carnivores such as dogs, cats, foxes, and raccoons. It is mostly found in parts of Africa and Southeast Asia. Islands such as Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Taiwan, Japan, and Cyprus are free of rabies. It is classified under zoonotic diseases (zoonotic means related to animals).

Causes of rabies

Rabies in humans is caused by the bite of a rabid animal. The virus is spread through the animal’s saliva. Farm animals such as dogs, cows, horses, goats, rabbits, and wild animals such as foxes, bats, coyotes, foxes, and hyenas can contract rabies. In India, stray dogs are a major source of infection because domestic animals are vaccinated.

Handling the rabies virus in a laboratory, exploring bat caves, or camping in a forest with wild animals are common situations in which a wild animal may be bitten.

Human-to-human transmission has not been documented. If a rabid animal licks an open wound on a person, the virus can spread. Head and neck injuries are more dangerous because the infection can reach the brain more quickly.

Rabies signs and symptoms

Symptoms and signs of rabies do not appear until the late stages of the disease, at which point the virus spreads to the brain, causing encephalitis and immediate death.

Rabies has an incubation period, which means it lies dormant in a person’s body for a few days before symptoms and signs appear. Initial symptoms include a headache, sore throat, fever, and tingling at the site of the bite.

Symptoms such as excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, agitation, confusion, insomnia, partial paralysis, and sometimes a coma indicate rabies.

The person is also intolerant to sound, light, and cold air currents. A fear of air (aerophobia) appears.

Diagnosis of rabies

If you are bitten by a stray dog or wild animal, it is wise to assume the animal has rabies and get vaccinated immediately to save its life. If the animal is a pet and it can be verified from the owner or veterinarian that the animal is not feral, only in these cases will the person not be vaccinated.

Securing or capturing an animal after it has bitten a person is useful because the animal can be turned over to a local agency to determine if it has rabies.

Your doctor will ask you to describe the animal’s behavior (whether it is friendly or angry), as wild animals are unlikely to be friendly to humans. How did he or she bite you, and what happened to the animal—did it escape or be captured? If the animal is caught, it is tested for signs of rabies, and if it is found to be healthy, the victim can avoid vaccination shots.

Rabies research

Rabies antigen can be detected by a method called immunofluorescence using a small piece of skin tissue. The virus is isolated from the saliva of an infected patient.

Treatment of Rabies

If an animal bites you, there may be an injury, so visit your doctor or the nearest clinic. Immediately wash the wound and the surrounding area with plenty of soap and water. If the animal is known to have rabies, an anti-rabies vaccine should be started immediately. If you do not know whether the animal is rabid, it is better to get the vaccine.

If the animal is a domestic or farm animal, it can be kept under observation for about ten days to determine if it has rabies. If the animal is healthy and not showing signs of rabies, injections may not be necessary.

Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for rabies. Rabies is usually fatal, and survivors are rare.
Anti-rabies vaccine

Rabies Immune Globulin: This is a fast-acting injection that prevents the virus from infecting a person. It should be given as soon as possible for maximum effect. A series of five injections are given in the arm over fourteen days.

Prevention of rabies

• Vaccinate pets regularly and educate neighbors and friends to do the same.
• If you are traveling to an area where rabies is a health problem, ask your doctor if you should get vaccinated.
• Limit small pets, such as rabbits and cats, and never be around large or wild animals, as these pets cannot be vaccinated.
• Never walk your pets in forests or forested areas.
• Keep bats out of your house. If a bat enters, get rid of it as soon as possible.
• If you notice a wild or stray animal in your area, notify local authorities.

Rabies Cases This Year

For more information on rabies go to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website: cdc.gov.