DON’T GET MAD, GET VACCINATED!
WORLD RABIES DAY: PROTECTING OURSELVES AGAINST A DANGEROUS VIRUS
World Rabies Day has come and gone in September, but every month is a good one to talk about rabies. Here are some anecdotes and trivia about rabies – who knows? One of these facts can save your life.
One would think that after growing up around many canine family members, I would know how to avoid being bitten by dogs. As it turns out, while I know how to read the moods of my furry family members, that doesn’t necessarily mean I would know the moods of dogs from other families.
The first time I was “tagged” by a dog was when my boss’s canine companion back in the day tried to bite me through my denim jeans. The sharp pain immediately told me that my skin had been broken, but there was no bleeding. That was the first time I received a series of vaccine shots against rabies.
A few years later, when I was staying in a small apartment, I apparently became the pincushion for two ownerless cats. I ended up needing vaccine shots two times over the course of three years.
Because of my experiences, I decided to learn as much as possible about rabies, and why it is really, really important that you get vaccinated whenever you get bitten by a dog or cat – or bat! – even if they are members of your family.
SYMPTOMS OF THE BIG “R”
Rabies is a virus that usually spreads through the saliva of infected animals – and because of that, it means that a bite is the usual mode of transmission. Rabies is so deadly that once the symptoms appear, it usually means that it’s too late; all that’s left is to prepare for the inevitable end.
The initial symptoms as listed by Mayo Clinic are similar to flu symptoms: fever, headache, and nausea. Vomiting, anxiety, and confusion can follow, as well as hyperactivity. But the most-feared symptoms of rabies are the following: difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, and hallucinations. The potential for violent behavior when these symptoms come out makes it possible for rabies victims to hurt – or even bite – other people, which can potentially spread the virus.
In our canine companions, the symptoms may be different: restlessness and aggression are initial symptoms, and later on a fever can manifest. They may also constantly lick the wound where they were infected with rabies. As the virus infection gets worse, hypersensitivity to light, sound, and touch might happen, or they may eat weird things, or hide in dark places. Finally, foaming at the mouth, paralysis, and confusion will happen, before the canine companion passes on. According to WEBMD, cats have similar symptoms, with increased vocalization and seizures added to the list of symptoms.
TREATMENT
The only real treatment for rabies is vaccination. But here’s the catch: Human vaccinations have limited effectivity. Depending on the analysis of a doctor experienced in using rabies vaccines, booster doses should be given anywhere from every six months to two years after the primary vaccination set. And even then, a pre-exposure set of rabies vaccination shots will only lessen the number of shots.
Our furry family members also need regular vaccine injections, if they are to stay rabies-free. They can be administered as early as three months of age, and then booster shots should be administered from every year after, or up to three years after, depending on the type of vaccine.