Rabies

 __** R a b i e s **__

 Rabies is viral disease that is transmitted through saliva from a bite by an infected animal. Dogs, cats, skunks, wolves, foxes, raccoons, and bats can all carry the rabies virus. Most bats carry the rabies virus, but are not infected with it. Small rodents such as squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks, rats, and rabbits are not known to transmit the rabies virus to humans. It is also a possibility to get rabies from a non-bite exposure. For example inhaling aerosol particles of the virus or by a rabid animal licking a person's eye, nose, mouth or broken skin. It causes acute encephalitis (inflammation of the central nervous system which includes the brain and spinal cord) in all warm blooded animals. During the incubation period the virus multiplies within the body spreading to the central nervous system and lasts for a few months.  Once the virus reaches the CNS (central nervous system) it is untreatable and usually fatal. Over a period if 30-50 days the rabies infection causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The rabies virus comes from the family of viruses called Rhabdoviridae and the Lyssavirus genus "These viruses are enveloped and have a single-stranded RNA genome with negative-sense ." Human rabies is rare and there have only been 55 cases since 1990. There are 40,000-70,000 deaths world wide each year due to rabies and most cases are from non-vaccinated dogs.

There are two forms of rabies called __ furious __ and __ d ____ umb __. **Furious**: If an animal has the furious form of the virus it will be aggressive, easily provoked and highly sensitive to touch. The animal will also do things that are "uncharacteristic to its species'' for example a bat would come out during the day and a usually aggressive wild animal becomes friendly toward humans. **Dumb**: The animal's body becomes either fully or partially paralyzed . It is less common then furious rabies. A vaccine for rabies is made from the killed rabies virus. The vaccine should be given to people at high risk of exposure to rabies, such as veterinarians, animal handlers, rabies laboratory workers, spelunkers, and rabies biologic production workers. A recombinant vaccine called V-RG has been used to prevent outbreaks in Belgium, France, Germany and the US.

**Dose 1:** As appropriate <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">**Dose 2:** 7 days after Dose 1 <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">**Dose 3:** 21 days or 28 days after Dose 1

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> After exposed to rabies virus, the infected person should take 4 doses of the vaccine. The most common treatment for rabies is with post-exposure prophylaxis (preventative treatment after being exposed to the virus) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">-First step is to wash the wound with soap and water for about 5 minutes. (If there is no bleeding do NOT try to stitch of the wound) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">-Second step to prevent rabies includes an injection of HRIG (human rabies immunoglobulin)

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">**The symptoms of rabies are:** (these symptoms start 10 days after being infected)
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">pain at the bite site
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">a general feeling of illness
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">depression
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">fever
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">headache
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">nausea and vomiting

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">**As the virus begins to multiply in the spinal cord or brain, neurological symptoms that appear include:**
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">anxiety
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">confusion
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">excessive saliva production
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">hallucinations
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">high level of excitement
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">insomnia
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">paralysis of lower legs
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 30px;">difficulty swallowing
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">restlessness
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">agitation
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">hydrophobia (fear of water)

<span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">To prevent rabies: vaccinate your pets, stay away from stray or wild animals and when traveling you should have a pre-exposure anti-rabies vaccination. It will not protect completely, but it will slow down the spread of the infection. Also do not allow pets to roam free and avoid feeding, petting or adopting wild animals for they may carry the virus.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">**Bibliography:**
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-rabies.pdf <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/condition_info_details.asp?channel_id=0&relation_id=0&disease_id=303&page_no=2 <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> http://rabies.emedtv.com/rabies/how-to-prevent-rabies-p2.html <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/181980.php <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyssavirus <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> http://www.dogsdata.com/what-is-rabies-virus-in-dogs.html <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=303 [] []