Rabies is a viral disease or infection that can damage the nervous system. This is a disease of warm-blooded animals, which can be transmitted to a human being if a person is bitten by an infected animal. This disease can bring catastrophic consequences if the virus attacks the brain of a patient. The word “Rabies” derived from a Latin word, which in English means fury or madness. It is a zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that can cause the swelling of the brain. It has been observed that approximately 55,000 people have died each year due to this disease. Though Rabies infection is a rare incident in Western countries, it is a common incident in several parts of Asia and Africa .
Causes for Rabies
Though this disease can be caused by various reasons, the bite of the infected dogs is reckoned as the most potent cause of this disease. In some Western Countries, Rabies can be transmitted from infected bats to human beings if an infected bat bites a human being. Sometimes an infected bear can transmit this virus to a human being.
The virus of Rabies can be transmitted from one infected person to another person as well through transplant surgery. This is one of the prominent causes of this disease. Apart from that, this disease can be transmitted from an infected person to another healthy person through certain sexual activities. However, a little bit of care and caution can prevent this disease from infecting a human being through an organ transplantation surgery. Transportation of Rabies infected animals between countries can spread this disease from one country to another country.
Symptoms of Rabies:
The symptoms of Rabies can be varied and diverse. At the initial stage, an infected person may experience headache and fever. A kind of prickling sensation can be felt in and around the infected place by a patient in the embryonic stage of this disease. One can also experience numbness or dizziness in the early phase as well. These are some of the common signs of this disease. As the disease progresses to the next stage, a patient can experience delusions and painful and involuntary muscular contraction. One can suffer from hydrophobia in which a patient expresses his denial to drink water. As the jaw and the throat fail to perform properly, patient begins to show his reluctance in drinking water. This is one of the important symptoms of this disease.
In the later stage of this disease, a patient may start behaving in frenzy way. Besides that, a patient may face some serious symptoms that include coma and paralysis. These two symptoms are some of the potent symptoms of Rabies. Generally, the symptoms of this disease begin to occur within two to eight weeks after a person was infected by this disease. But sometimes, these symptoms may take more than two years to become evident.
Encephalitis is another important symptom of this disease. This symptom occurs when virus attacks the brain. This is the final stage of this disease when treatment can’t help a patient at all. Spinal cord’s inflammation is another major sign of this disease. This disease can also damage brain severely.
Treatment of Rabies:
Antibodies can do a fantastic job in fighting against the virus of this disease. For enhancing the efficiency of these antibodies, a patient should be vaccinated. It will strengthen his immunity system and his body will produce more antibodies.
Some practitioners advocate for the Post-exposure prophylaxis treatment that can efficaciously prevent the symptoms of Rabies. This treatment can bring desired result if a patient can be treated within six days to twenty days of infection. The affected place ought to be washed properly with water and soap as soon as possible. This will reduce the number of virus particles from the infected place. Virucidal antiseptic (aqueous iodine solution, iodine tincture, povidone-iodine etc) can be applied on that place. Rabies vaccine should be given as soon as possible so that a patient can recuperate from this disease quickly. If a patient is suffering from coma due to the infection of this disease, Induce coma treatment can generate better result.
Advice:
As Rabies is a fatal disease, treatment should be started immediately after the emergence of the symptoms of this disease. If a person has to travel in various places, he should take a vaccine to stay away from this disease.
