Greetings steemian. Am happy to be here again. What is rabies? Rabies is a disease that is as old as man and I am pretty sure everyone of us must have come across the word Rabies before. It could have been in our preliminary days in college or high school.
Another things that comes to anyone mind about rabies is dogs. As if all dog going on the street is rabid. Some people don't even know what is it.
So to avoid keeping our self shrouded, so i shall dive into the Rabies and what we should know about it. Its different types, how its is transmitted, some signs that will confirm an individual is rabid, how we can prevent and control it.
Rabies has been known as one of the most terrifying disease of man. Rabies is an acute, highly contagious disease of warm blooded animals including humans and it is caused by lyssa virus.
It's terrifying and heart breaking because virtually nothing can be done to anyone bitten by a rabid animal. rabies is a zoonotic disease of man and its of great important everyone of us know one or two things about rabies. Lyssavirus belong the group of virus called rhabdoviridae. As a matter of fact, only 6 people have been recorded so far to have survive from rabies in whole world. The virus is bullet shaped. Rabies is not a disease we should take with levity. I know in my country its commonly called "digbolugi" meaning mad dog.
Most rabies case in human are as a result of dog bite. Saliva of an infected human and animal basically transmit rabies to other susceptible host when it comes in contact with their body
How is rabies transmitted?
Children are mostly affected because they play with pet more. They play and disturb roaming dogs especially stray dogs.
Mostly rabies is transmitted basically from bite from an infected animal. No direct man to man transmission as been documented. But rabies can be transmitted in humans by organ transplant. We must note that both direct and indirect exposure of man to the saliva of infected animal whether dog or bat is fatal. Also, the onset of sign in affected human differs, for human bitten on the hands(highly innervated) it is faster transmitted go the brain then more clinical signs manifest quickly.
what are the various form of rabies
Animal rabies
It pertinent to know that rabies affect the central nervous system. We have pro dromal, furious, and dumb phase. The signs that can point to rabies in a dog include...
- an unfriendly dog suddenly becoming friendly.
- when dogs suddenly start moving away from light source and hiding away like under chair and table.
- appetite may disappear or may be attempting to eat wood...
- a obvious sign of wanting to bite anything moving.
- there will itching on the site infected.
- also tail is held between the thighs. There are other signs as well.
Human rabbies
Typically there are same phase. But in human there is usually anxiety, agitation, hydrophobia which means fear of water, excess saliva from the mouth, seizures and might be followed by coma and death.
Clinically rabies manifest either furious(mad) form or dumb(paralytic) form. We should note that they are both uniformly fatal. A spade will always be a spade no matter the form.
So what are various host affected by rabies?
Yes, rabies affect all warm blooded animal. But according to world health organisation not all animal are equally susceptible. Some of our wild life like wolves and foxes are most highly susceptible. Also some set of animal are more susceptible which are include the great titan vampire bat, raccoons and skunks. This second group of animal are know as reservoir host meaning they carry the virus about without it affecting them. They are natural carriers. The transfer the infection when humans and some primates comes in contact with them.
Dogs, the chief animal itself is moderately susceptible and its in best position to transfer it to humans. Due to our cordial relationship with our dogs. Man can easily contact it from them. This is very common in sub sahara and Africa generally because dog are usually used for hunting and this animal can come in contact with the vampire bats in the bush.
Humans are classified as dead end host meaning that once humans is infected they come down with the disease, show clinical signs and later die. They can't keep the virus in their body for long. Also our ruminant animals are regarded as dead end too. Ruminant like goats, cattle and sheep.
Note, that cat and dogs can keep the virus within them for sometimes. So it can be easily transmitted to humans.
Pathogenesis of Rabies.
Pathogenesis is the study of the derailment caused by a disease.
After rabies is inoculated into the striated muscles through bites from infected animal mostly from dogs. When its inoculated through highly innervated part of the body like hands, the virus replicates in the peripheral nerves present in the musculoneural junction(where muscles and nerves are). Its then spread to the central nervous system through centripetal force( moving towards brain n spinal cord) to the schwann cell found the brain. Its then affect the neurons in the brains causing severe derailment in the normal organisation of the brain and the CNS generally. The virus is replicated and spread through centrifugal and spreads round to all body part which more in the saliva. This is basically responsible for the reason why it's mostly transmitted when saliva comes in contact with susceptible mucosa. Complications involving the cardiovascular( heart and vessels) System, CNS, and the respiratory systems eventually develop and contribute to death.
Some of the way its can be diagnose is histopathology(through seeing negri bodies), virus cultivation using specific culture for virology, serology test like immunoflourescence, rapid virus antigen detection.
prevention and control
Animal rabies
We've been able to learn quite some thing about rabies. So now to prevention, its basically by vaccinations of our pet and also other animals that can be affected even humans like I said above. Massive vaccination in Europe and U.S.A is responsible for the drastic reduction its incidence. Endeavour to see veterinarian to vaccinate your animal. The vet then gives you a proof which can be use in a court of law.
Human rabies
As we all know that the best to avoid winter is to be in Africa. Same vain, avoid contact with infected animal or animal. Avoiding total exposure is even more encouraged than any other thing. A physician is to give post exposure vaccine to the person. Before vaccination standard procedure highlighted must be strictly adhered to. The vaccination include the human rabies immunoglobulin vaccine to the person affected this is given on the buttock. The final stage is administration of vaccine(human diploid cell vaccine HDCV) which is to be given on the arm at day 0, day 3, day 7, day 14 and day 28 this vaccine is accepted all over the world and approved by the world health organisation.
what to do when bitten by a rabid dog
Wash effectively with soap and water,
Attend keenly to the patient and set some people to destroy the dog. Help the patient to physician, veterinarian or other health worker where this could be done as recommended by WHO
Wash the site with with 40-70% alcohol, ammonium compound, and also tincture of iodine(which will kill the virus).
Then see a physician for other things to be done.
Also we should note as this point that if an a individual is bitten by a dog we are not sure if rabid or not. We should endeavour to get a post exposure vaccination from a physician after following the first aid highlighted above. For workers that are prone to coming across a rabid dog should endeavour to take pre exposure vaccine which is usually in different shot for weeks.
Conclusion
Rabies is Invariably a fatal disease and must be handled with utmost importance. Rabies has a great public health importance because it leads to death of pet which could cause emotional derailment to the owner, dog breeder. It could lead to death of our loved ones too when they come in contact with rabid dog. It quite important we adhere strictly to the measures above to combat the menace. World rabies day has been chosen as september 28. It is annually celebrated to raise awareness about rabies prevention which is far better than treating humans and other animals when affected and to highlight progress in combating this horrifying disease. Louis pasteur was the first to create rabies vaccine, 28th marks when he died. World organization for animal health, World health organisation and Food and agricultural organization are working on a scheme called zero by 30.
Lets join and hands and end rabies!
References
- Garba Ahmed. What you should know about rabies.
- Omicsonline: rabies introduction
- WHO: rabies
- Virology-online: rabies
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