Name: lyssavirus
First discovered: 16th century followed by discovery of vaccine in 1885.
Signs and symptoms:
There are five general stages of this disease; incubation, which usually last 30-90 days but may be as few as 5 days or as long as 2 years, being more variable than any other acute infection. Vague clinical symptoms are noted during the prodromal stage 0-10 days. Symptoms at this time are general malaise, mild fever, and gastrointestinal upset. In some cases psychiatric disturbances may be noticed; insomnia, nightmares, increased libido, agitation, and depression. As the acute neurological period is reached one of two forms begins "Furious”, this form affects the brain and causes aggressive "foaming at the mouth behaviour whereas "paralytic" rabies affects the spinal cord, causing the animal to be weak, lethargic, and unable to swallow. This may last 2-7 days. After this point, the respiratory system suffers; periods of rapid, irregular breathing begin, signalling the beginning of the coma stage, 5-7 days. Death, the final stage may be prolonged in humans through life support measures, but will rarely affect the outcome.
Recovery or death:
Rabies is a fatal disease in humans, and, to date, the only survivors of the disease have received rabies vaccine before the onset of illness. Even with intensive care, the majority of patients with rabies do not survive for >3 weeks although 1 patient died 133 days after the onset of illness. For previously unvaccinated patients with rabies, reports to date have indicated agonizing symptoms and a 100% mortality rate. In unusual circumstances, the attending physicians and the patients (or, more commonly, their relatives) may wish to use an aggressive approach to therapy with the aim of curing the disease. However, it must be clearly understood that even if such an approach were successful, the patient likely would be left with permanent disabling neurological deficits.
Causes:
Rabies is spread by infected saliva that enters the body through a bite or broken skin. The virus travels from the wound to the brain, where it causes swelling, or inflammation. This inflammation leads to symptoms of the disease. Most rabies deaths occur in children.
In the past, human rabies cases in the United States usually resulted from a dog bite. Recently, more cases of human rabies have been linked to bats and raccoons. Although dog bites are a common cause of rabies in developing countries, there have been no reports of rabies caused by dog bites in the United States for a number of years due to widespread animal vaccination.
Other wild animals that can spread the rabies virus include:
Prevention:
To help prevent rabies:
Clean the wound well with soap and water, and seek professional medical help. You will need a doctor to thoroughly clean the wound and remove any foreign objects. Most of the time, stitches should not be used for animal bite wounds.
If there is any risk of rabies, you will be given a series of a preventive vaccine. The vaccine is generally given in 5 doses over 28 days.
Most patients also receive a treatment called human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG). This treatment is given the day the bite occurred.
Call your doctor right away after an animal bite or after being exposed to animals such as bats, foxes, and skunks. They may carry rabies.
Fatality rate: Nearly 100% fatality.
First discovered: 16th century followed by discovery of vaccine in 1885.
Signs and symptoms:
There are five general stages of this disease; incubation, which usually last 30-90 days but may be as few as 5 days or as long as 2 years, being more variable than any other acute infection. Vague clinical symptoms are noted during the prodromal stage 0-10 days. Symptoms at this time are general malaise, mild fever, and gastrointestinal upset. In some cases psychiatric disturbances may be noticed; insomnia, nightmares, increased libido, agitation, and depression. As the acute neurological period is reached one of two forms begins "Furious”, this form affects the brain and causes aggressive "foaming at the mouth behaviour whereas "paralytic" rabies affects the spinal cord, causing the animal to be weak, lethargic, and unable to swallow. This may last 2-7 days. After this point, the respiratory system suffers; periods of rapid, irregular breathing begin, signalling the beginning of the coma stage, 5-7 days. Death, the final stage may be prolonged in humans through life support measures, but will rarely affect the outcome.
Recovery or death:
Rabies is a fatal disease in humans, and, to date, the only survivors of the disease have received rabies vaccine before the onset of illness. Even with intensive care, the majority of patients with rabies do not survive for >3 weeks although 1 patient died 133 days after the onset of illness. For previously unvaccinated patients with rabies, reports to date have indicated agonizing symptoms and a 100% mortality rate. In unusual circumstances, the attending physicians and the patients (or, more commonly, their relatives) may wish to use an aggressive approach to therapy with the aim of curing the disease. However, it must be clearly understood that even if such an approach were successful, the patient likely would be left with permanent disabling neurological deficits.
Causes:
Rabies is spread by infected saliva that enters the body through a bite or broken skin. The virus travels from the wound to the brain, where it causes swelling, or inflammation. This inflammation leads to symptoms of the disease. Most rabies deaths occur in children.
In the past, human rabies cases in the United States usually resulted from a dog bite. Recently, more cases of human rabies have been linked to bats and raccoons. Although dog bites are a common cause of rabies in developing countries, there have been no reports of rabies caused by dog bites in the United States for a number of years due to widespread animal vaccination.
Other wild animals that can spread the rabies virus include:
- Foxes
- Skunks
Prevention:
To help prevent rabies:
- Avoid contact with animals you don't know.
- Get vaccinated if you work in a high-risk occupation or travel to countries with a high rate of rabies.
- Make sure your pets receive the proper immunizations. Ask your veterinarian.
- Follow quarantine regulations on importing dogs and other mammals in disease-free countries.
Clean the wound well with soap and water, and seek professional medical help. You will need a doctor to thoroughly clean the wound and remove any foreign objects. Most of the time, stitches should not be used for animal bite wounds.
If there is any risk of rabies, you will be given a series of a preventive vaccine. The vaccine is generally given in 5 doses over 28 days.
Most patients also receive a treatment called human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG). This treatment is given the day the bite occurred.
Call your doctor right away after an animal bite or after being exposed to animals such as bats, foxes, and skunks. They may carry rabies.
- Call even when no bite took place.
- Immunization and treatment for possible rabies are recommended for at least up to 14 days after exposure or a bite.
Fatality rate: Nearly 100% fatality.