What Is Rabies Disease?

Rabies is an infectious disease of the central nervous system. It is caused by the type 1 Lyssavirus. The Guiness Book of World Records considers rabies the most fatal disease known to man. After infection and manifestation of symptoms the survival rate is less than 1 percent. According Dr. K. Park, an expert in preventive medicine, 99 percent of human rabies cases are caused by contact with an infected dog.

Geographic Distribution

• Rabies is a disease that has been found in almost every part of the world, though some countries have achieved a rabies-free status through rigorous anti-rabies campaigns. Australia, China, Cyprus, Iceland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are all considered rabies free. Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Finland and Spain are also considered rabies-free areas. An area can be considered considered rabies free after two years without an indigenous acquired rabies case.

Reservoir of Infection

• Rabies has three reservoirs of infection; urban rabies, wildlife rabies and bat rabies. Urban rabies reservoir consists of all the domestic animals found in urbanized areas that can carry the disease. Dogs, cats and some types of rodents have been known to be carriers of the virus. The majority of infected humans are infected by coming into contact with urban carriers.

  Wildlife rabies carriers are jackals, wolves, foxes and other wild animals. The wildlife reservoir is the main reservoir of infection. Most urban reservoirs result because of contact with a infected wild animal.

  Bat rabies is found mostly in the Latin American countries and is found in the vampire bat population.

Transmission

• Transmission of rabies to a human being is mainly a result of a human coming into contact with the saliva of an infected animal. Human rabies can also result from being bitten by a wild animal or a vampire bat. Human to human transmission is possible but rare. Airborne infection has also been reported in laboratory conditions and in caves where there was a high concentration of infected bats.

Treatment

• If a human being is suspected of coming into contact with an infected animal, the treatment is almost always vaccination. If the individual was bitten it is extremely important to cleanse the wound. According to Park, animal experiments have shown that wound cleansing decreases the chance of developing rabies by 80 percent. Bite wounds should not be stitched to prevent spreading the virus to deeper tissue.

Disease

• If left untreated, an infected individual will begin to exhibit symptoms three to eight weeks after exposure. Rabies is also known as hydrophobia. The disease begins with prodromal (general) symptoms such as headache, fever and sore throat. Four out of five patients complain of tingling in the area of the bite; this is considered a specific symptom of rabies. The prodromal is followed by the stimulation and excitation of all parts of the nervous system. The sensory system, the motor system, the sympathetic system and the mental system are affected. Mental changes include anger, fear of death, irritability and depression. Aerophobia (fear of air) and hydrophobia also develop. The disease lasts up to six days and death may occur during a patient's convulsions or the patient may pass through stages of paralysis and coma.