Rabies: Prevention is better

Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous 

system. It is transmitted from infected mammals to man 

and is invariably fatal once symptoms appear.

Every year, 55,000 people die due to rabies.

Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system. It is transmitted from infected mammals to man and is invariably fatal once symptoms appear. Every year, 55,000 people die due to rabies around the world including Pakistan. But the good news is that it can be prevented if the exposed person receives treatment before symptoms of the infection develop.

Civil Hospital Karachi in connection with the Rabies day. Civil Hospital Karachi has special facility for rabies patients and more than 24,000 rabies virus patients were treated here in the last 5 years. It is the only health institute in the province where a separate clinic has been established for free treatment of dogs, horses and monkeys bites. Vaccines are very costly but we are providing them on a free basis. We provide all medicines and vaccines to the Rabies Management Clinic and the staff of the clinic is treating the patients with dedication."

Different ways through which virus can be transmitted: 

* Bites are the most common source of transmission

* Scratches by infected animals are far less likely to cause infection but are still considered a potential source of rabies transmission. 

* The virus is transmitted only when the virus gets into bite wounds, open cuts in your skin, or into mucous membranes (for example, into your eyes or your mouth). 

* Bites or scratches are often not confirmed in cases of human rabies traced to bats. Therefore, treatment might be necessary after a close encounter with a bat. 

Symptoms

Rabies patients mostly suffer fits at an initial stage and they are afraid of water and light. 

One of the most distinctive signs of rabies infection is a tingling or twitching sensation around the area of the animal bite. It is often accompanied by a fever, headache, muscle aches, loss of appetite, nausea, and fatigue.

As the infection progresses, someone infected with rabies may develop any of these symptoms:

* Irritability

* Excessive movements or agitation 

* Confusion

* Hallucinations and aggressiveness 

* Bizarre or abnormal thoughts 

* Muscle spasms 

* Abnormal postures 

* Seizures (convulsions) 

* Weakness or paralysis (when a person cannot move some part of the body) 

* Extreme sensitivity to bright lights, sounds, or touch 

* Increased production of saliva or tears 

* Difficulty in speaking 

In the advanced stages of the infection, as it spreads to other parts of the nervous system, these symptoms may develop:

* Double vision 

* Problems moving facial muscles 

* Abnormal movements of the diaphragm and muscles that control breathing 

* Difficulty swallowing and increased production of saliva, causing 'foaming around the mouth' usually associated with rabies infection

Rabies Treatment

When bitten by an animal, you should always care for the wound immediately by washing it out with soap, a virus-killing cleanser, water, and some sort of commercial antiseptic iodine solution, if available. This not only helps in killing the common bacterial germs that may be passed by the bite but has also been shown to decrease the likelihood of transmission of the rabies virus.

Medical Treatment

If a person is bitten by a rabid animal and has not yet experienced symptoms, there is an extremely effective post-exposure treatment, which includes an injection of rabies immune globulin and several containing rabies vaccine given over a 28-day period. Normally, additional doses of rabies vaccine follow on days 3, 7, 14, and 28 after the first vaccination.

The rabies vaccine works by stimulating a person's immune system to produce antibodies that neutralise the virus. The person develops a protective immune response before the virus reaches the brain and begins to actively replicate.

Prevention is better

Rabies can be totally prevented by making sure that people have awareness about this disease. Prompt vaccination could save the patient from a painful death. You must get appropriate medical care before you develop the symptoms of rabies. 

Rabies vaccination and pregnancy

Both human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) and various rabies vaccines are safe in pregnancy. If you are taking medicines (such as prednisone or steroids) or have a disease that interferes with the body's response to the rabies vaccine, discuss these situations with your doctor. The doctor will then determine if additional blood tests are needed to ensure that an adequate response to the vaccine has occurred and that protection against rabies is developing.