Rabies: as transmitted, the first signs, treatment, prevention

What is rabies? How is this disease transmitted? You will find answers to the questions posed below. We will also tell you about the manifestations of this disease, its prevention and treatment.

General information about the disease

What is rabies (how is this disease transmitted, many people know)? According to experts, this is an infectious disease. The causative agent of rabies is the Rabies virus, which belongs to the genus Lyssavirus and the family Rhabdoviridae.

Another name for the disease in question is "rabies". Previously, this disease was called hydrophobia, or hydrophobia.

The causative agent of rabies - the virus Rabies - promotes the development of specific encephalitis, that is, inflammation of the brain in humans and animals.

Features of viral disease

Until 2005, such a disease was considered fatal to humans. There was no reliable evidence to cure this disease after the onset of symptoms. Today, a free vaccination against rabies, done immediately after a possible infection, effectively prevents the further spread of the virus.

In 2005, for the first time, a case of complete cure of a person from this disease was recorded at the stage of manifestation of its signs. So, by 2012, 5 out of 37 people were cured by vaccination.

Rabies: as transmitted to man

The name of the disease under consideration comes from the word "demon". This is due to the fact that in ancient times people believed that the cause of this disease is the obsession of an animal or man with evil spirits. By the way, the Latin name of the mentioned disease - "rabies" has the same meaning.

So, what is rabies? How is this disease transmitted? Specialists report that the causative agent of this disease is transmitted to a person through saliva when bitten by sick animals. Further, the virus spreads through nerve fibers and reaches the salivary glands, brain cells, bulbar centers and the hippocampus. Having struck them, it causes severe violations.

Scientific studies have shown that rabies virus is contained in the saliva of an animal during fits and 2 days before the onset of any symptoms of the disease. However, there were cases when even 9 to 14 days before the appearance of signs in the animal from him was already infected.

The most dangerous animal bites

The case of rabies after a bite in a person is observed not very often. But even without manifestation of any signs of the disease should always make a preventive vaccination. After all, absolutely all bitten people are exposed to the danger of infection.

Few people know, but the danger of bites caused may depend on several factors, including:

• Locations. The most dangerous are bites in the neck and head. From these places, the rabies virus is able to migrate faster to the brain, so that its incubation period, as well as the first phase of the disease, is almost instantaneous.
• Features of the bite. In the event that carriers of rabies have bitten a person for a bare area of the body, then the possibility to get infected with a virus is much higher than when bitten through clothing. By the way, the latter is capable of delaying the pathogen.
• The species of the animal. The most dangerous for humans are the bites of wolves.

It should also be noted that in addition to bites, infection with the virus in question can occur in another way. For example, cases of transfer of the pathogen are known when the dog licked the skin of a person, on which there were fresh wounds and scratches.

Another way of possible infection is the autopsy of animals or people who died of rabies.

Can I get infected from a person?

From person to person, rabies is transmitted very rarely. This can happen only if in a fit of rage the patient attacks a healthy one, as a result of which his saliva gets on the skin of the latter.

There is also a low probability of infection by inhalation of aerosols that contain viral particles of rabies.

Despite the prevailing opinion, the causative agent of the disease in question can not pass to a person when eating raw meat of infected animals.

How is rabies manifested?

Specialists distinguish 3 main stages of the considered disease.

• The prodromal period.

This period usually lasts 1-3 days and is manifested by headache, fever, loss of appetite and fatigue. An infected person has neuralgia along the nerves, which are close to the site of the bite. Also in this area there is an increased sensitivity of the skin and slight twitching of the muscle tissues.

• Stage of excitement.

This stage lasts about 5-7 days. It is manifested by temporary attacks of excessive excitation (psychomotor), and also manifests a sharp sensitivity to even minor stimuli of the senses (for example, to bright light, various sounds, noise, etc.).

Patients become very violent and aggressive. They have hallucinations, a sense of fear, delirium, paresis, seizures and paralysis of muscle tissue. In addition, the stage of excitation is accompanied by fever and body temperature up to 40 degrees. In the course of the development of the disease, attacks are observed more often, and interictal periods are significantly shortened.

• Stage of paralysis.

In this stage, symptoms of cranial nerve damage (including paresis of the facial nerve, diplopia, paresis of the facial muscles) are added to all the above signs. Also, paralysis of the eye muscles is noted and swallowing reflexes are disturbed.

Salivation together with impaired swallowing leads to the appearance of foam in the mouth. This is a characteristic feature for all patients with rabies.

It should also be noted that in half the cases of infected people and animals, there is hydrophobia. At the use of a liquid at patients there are involuntary and sharp cuts of a diaphragm, and also other respiratory muscles.

The duration of the disease under consideration is 50-55 days. Sometimes this period can be reduced to two weeks. Usually, the death of an animal or a person occurs as a result of stopping breathing due to damage to the breathing apparatus.

Treatment of rabies in animals and humans

"Nobivak Rabies" is an inactivated vaccine, which is a preventive tool for immunizing healthy animals against rabies. A single injection allows to create active immunity in cats and dogs for up to three years, for sheep, horses, goats and cattle - up to two years, and for mink, foxes and ferrets - up to one year.

The increase in immunity after the introduction of the vaccine "Nobivak Rabies" usually occurs on the 21st day.

As for people, the treatment of rabies is carried out in the intensive care units. Also, the rendering of first aid to the victim plays an important role. The bitten person is given an injection on the same day, when he went to a polyclinic.

The modern purified vaccine (COCAV) makes it possible to significantly reduce the curative rate and reduce the dose administered once.

Children such injections are made into the external surface of the thigh, and to adolescents and adults - to the deltoid muscle.

The effect of the introduced solution reaches 98%. But this is only if the injection was made no later than 2 weeks after the bite.

Prevention of rabies

When bitten by a dog, the injured person should immediately wash the wound with soapy water, then treat it with hydrogen peroxide and contact the emergency department. With an appeal to the doctor, do not delay. After all, as it was said above, vaccination will be effective only if it was done not later than two weeks from the time of injury.

If possible, it is recommended to watch the dog for 10 days. Vaccination can be safely stopped if, during this time, the dog has not died, and it has not manifested the main symptoms of rabies.