Rabies causes certain death in humans unless they receive medical treatment to decrease the chance of infection. People are exposed to rabies through the saliva of a rabid animal, usually raccoons, foxes, skunks, bats or other wild animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Contracting rabies from domestic pets is rare in the United States because of widespread pet vaccination, but precautions are still necessary, especially because domestic animals may have contact with wild animals.
Considerations
People infected with rabies may not show symptoms until late in the disease. No treatment exists for the infection. A small number of people have survived rabies, but the disease is almost always fatal, according to the Mayo Clinic. Although fatal consequences exist, rabies is considered a medical urgency and not an emergency because treatment can prevent infection, the CDC notes.
Effects
Rabies infects the central nervous system, damaging the brain and causing death. Early symptoms may include fever, headache or weakness much like the flu. Insomnia, anxiety, confusion, partial paralysis and excitation may occur as the disease progresses, the CDC reports. Agitation, hallucinations, difficulty swallowing, hydrophobia (fear of water) and an increase in saliva or foaming at the mouth may follow. Death results within days of symptoms.
Precautions
Anyone bitten by an animal or exposed to its saliva through a cut or wound needs to contact medical professionals or health authorities. People are advised to wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water immediately after contact, the CDC says. This can decrease the chance of infection by washing away the virus.
Identification
When seeking medical attention, the doctor may want to know what kind of animal did the biting or if the patient knows to whom the animal belongs. Decisions made on whether to administer rabies prevention and vaccine injections depend on the animal. A domestic animal may be watched for 10 days for signs of rabies. A wild animal that is caught can be killed and tested for rabies. Treatment is usually provided as a preventive measure when an animal cannot be found.
Prevention/Solution
Patients are given a fast-acting injection of rabies immune globulin near the area where the bite occurred as soon as possible. A series of rabies vaccines usually injected in the arm follows. The vaccine helps the body identify and fight the rabies virus. People receive four doses of the vaccine over a 14-day period, usually on the first, third, seventh and 14th days, according to the CDC. Current vaccine shots are relatively painless.
