You could die due to the misconceptions about rabies!

You could die due to the misconceptions about rabies!

by Editorial Team

September 28 is World Rabies Day. 

In the old days, whenever you got bit by an animal, you would need 16 shots of anti-rabies vaccine in your abdomen, shots many believed to be far more painful than the animal's bite. Now you just need to take four to five injections to prevent the dreaded disease from occurring.

Despite the progress made by medical research on rabies, misconceptions are still there. 'Many people continue to follow old remedies that are ineffective. Some apply erukkam paal, coffee powder, mud and cow dung on the dog bite. Some tie a piece of cloth above the wound thinking it will arrest the spread of infection. The only thing to do is wash the wound with soap under running water for 15 minutes. Antiseptic solution can then be applied, but medical help must be sought immediately,' Dr S Raghunathan, professor of medicine, Madras Medical College (MMC) and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH) told The Hindu.

Out of the 55,000 deaths that occur every year due to rabies, sixty percent of the victims are aged 15 years or below. In India alone, 20,000 people die every year due to the disease.

Preventing rabies:

Four to five doses of the anti-rabies vaccine administered on 0, 3, 7, 14 and 28  days after being bitten can prevent it.

Some facts regarding rabies that you must know!

1. Rabies is incurable

It is imperative that a person who has suffered a bite from an animal visit a doctor immediately to get the vaccine. This is because rabies is incurable once a person starts showing symptoms of the disease, which may be any time from one to three months.  Although in rare cases a person might notice the symptoms as early as one week or as late as one year.

 2.Rabies could manifest as different types

In furious rabies, the person is hyperactive, aggressive, suffers from hydrophobia (a fear of water) and in some cases aerophobia (a fear of flying). A few days after these symptoms present, the patient usually dies of cardio-respiratory failure.

In paralytic rabies, the progression is far slower than its furious form. Amongst the people who contract the disease, about 30 percent of them suffer from this type of rabies.  Here the patient's muscles gradually get paralyzed starting from the site of the bite. This then slowly progresses leading to a coma and then death.

3. Rabies can be transmitted from all mammals including cats, monkeys and not just dogs.

Transmitted mainly through the saliva, the bite or scratch of an infected animal can lead to infection. Contrary to popular belief, dogs are not the only animals that spread rabies. All mammals like cats, cows, horses, monkeys and bats can carry the virus. Other animals like rats also can be infected by the virus, but usually die quickly and do not have the capability of spreading the disease. In the case of mammals, the virus has a long incubation period that allows them to spread the disease. (Read more: Top 10 facts about rabies you didn't know)

We spoke to our expert Dr A.K Gupta, renowned physician practising in New Delhi, to find the answers to some of the most common questions regarding rabies.

Which animals spread rabies in India?

Dr Gupta: In India, the animals commonly responsible for transmission of rabies are dogs and cats followed by wild animals like mongoose, foxes and jackals. Occasionally animals like  horses, donkeys, monkeys, cows, goats, sheep and pigs can also spread the virus.

How can people control rabies in dogs?

Dr Gupta: Animal vaccination remains the method of choice to control and eradicate rabies. People with pets need to understand that a proper and careful vaccination schedule is necessary for the safety of the dog itself and their family. The cost of a post-bite treatment in humans is about one hundred times more costly than getting your dog vaccinated.  

What precautions should people take when it comes to rabies?

Dr Gupta: While many people think that it is only when they get bitten that they at risk of contracting the disease, but they need to remember that there are some other things that can be done to keep themselves and their family safe.  They should remember that if their dog or cat  is sick, they should seek the advice from their veterinarian immediately. They should protect their pets from stray or wild animals. If a person has any stray animals in their surroundings, they should immidiately report it to their local health authority. People should remember that they should not feed or handle wild animals especially those that appear particularly aggressive or sick. And finally people should not keep wild animals as pets. (Read the rest of the interview here..)

 

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