RABIES-
Rare, But Not Universally Fatal.
In a Texas hospital, not long ago, an organ donor died after experiencing
a brain hemorrhage. Compassionately, his family donated his organs to four different
recipients in Texas and Arkansas. Those four people died shortly after the transplant.
Why such a tragic loss? Rabies infection.
This was the first known case of someone dying from a transplant of an organ
infected with rabies, and measures have been taken to ensure the incident is
not repeated. Unfortunately, this example illustrates just how dangerous rabies
infections can be - to your pets and to you.
Fortunately, there are successful prevention and immunization procedures in place
in the United States, and rabies deaths have been limited to one or two annually.
Let's look a little more closely at this rare disease that is universally fatal.
What is rabies? Rabies is an acute viral infection that infects
the brain and nervous system. When a human experiences a full blown infection,
death will occur.
An infection of the brain is called an encephalopathy. In addition to the brain
infection, muscle spasm or weakness will occur.
How does this occur? Rabies infection is transmitted
in the saliva of infected mammals. Most specifically, the carriers of a rabies
virus are raccoons, skunks,
bats, foxes, and coyotes. Domesticated animals such as dogs and cats become infected
through close contact and exposure to these other animals. These animals are
at risk when they have not received their appropriate shots in order to prevent
the development of the disease. It is rare to see rabies in rabbits, squirrels,
rats, or possums.
For humans, it is dangerous to be in contact to animals that have a high incidence
of rabies. Exposure to infected saliva, possibly through a bite, will require
immediate medical attention. A human can thus become infected when this infected
saliva will penetrate broken skin.
What are the symptoms? Once a human is bitten or exposed,
it may take one to three months before symptoms will occur. Initially, a person
may feel like they
have a common cold with stomach flu and fever. There may be a headache with generalized
aches and pains. Eventually, a person will have difficulty with muscle control
and thought process. This may lead to hallucinations, agitation, and paralysis.
Death will then occur due to the loss of muscle power to breathe and cardiac
arrest.
The initial symptoms are very general and must be correlated with a definite
exposure to a rabid animal. This is an important part of the history, so do not
be alarmed when you develop generalized flu symptoms without any known exposure!
How is rabies diagnosed? Initially, rabies is diagnosed
on the basis of history and exposure risks. If exposed to an animal that has
a high risk of rabies, treatment
will be initiated. In order to diagnose the presence of the virus in a human,
the disease process will be in the late fatal stages. Ultimately, brain tissue
will be analyzed to check for the virus.
When exposed to a suspect animal, the animal may be quarantined or destroyed.
The brain of the animal will be checked for the rabies virus through a special
laboratory procedure.
What is the treatment? If you are exposed to a high
risk animal and it is not captured, a series of very successful shots will be
ordered. First, if exposed,
the wound must be cleansed with soap and water immediately. This helps prevent
the spread of the virus and potential infection.
Next, your health care provider will analyze the situation and determine if shots
are needed. One dose of rabies immune globulin will be given followed by five
shots of a rabies vaccine. These shots are spaced out over 28 days. The full
series must be given if the animal is not caught and observed or tested.
Annually, about 18,000 Americans undergo the rabies vaccination series after
exposure. There are only about one or two deaths per year in the United States
from rabies. The numbers of deaths from rabies around the world are much higher
due to the lack of appropriate immunizations of animals and humans.
Can I prevent getting rabies? Yes. Be sure that your
animals are immunized. Do not play with unfamiliar animals. Do not touch dead
animals. Be sure to report
sick appearing animals to the Humane Society, who can accurately assess the health
of the animal. Finally, if exposed, cleanse the wound immediately and seek medical
attention in a timely fashion. You may prevent a fatal illness!
