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Rabies: Share the message. Save a life.
The theme for World Rabies Day 2018 celebrated on September
28th is "Rabies: Share the message. Save a life.”This highlights the importance of education and awareness to prevent
rabies. The World Health Organization
(WHO) acknowledges that rabies is present on all continents, except Antarctica,
with over 95% of human deaths occurring in the Asian and African regions. 40% of people bitten by suspect rabid animals
are children under 15 years of age.
Rabies is an infectious viral disease that is almost always
fatal following the onset of clinical symptoms.It is spread to people through bites or scratches, usually via saliva.
Rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease.Vaccinating dogs and cats is the most cost-effective strategy for
preventing rabies in people. In the
Americas, bats are now the major source of human rabies deaths as dog to human
transmission has been greatly reduced due to increased vaccinations rates and
the prevention of animal bites.
Rabies prevention includes several measures:
·Visit your veterinarian with your pet on a
regular basis and keep rabies vaccinations up to-date for all cats, ferrets,
and dogs.
·Maintain control of your pets by keeping cats
and ferrets indoors and keeping dogs under direct supervision.
·Spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the
number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or vaccinated
regularly.
·Call animal control to remove all stray dogs
from your neighborhood since these animals may be unvaccinated or ill.
The rabies virus is transmitted through saliva or
brain/nervous system tissue. You can
only get rabies by coming in contact
with these specific bodily excretions and tissues. It’s important to remember that rabies is a
medical urgency but not an emergency.Decisions should not be delayed.Wash any wounds immediately. The
involves an immediate and thorough flushing and washing for a minimum of 15
minutes with soap and water, detergent, povidone iodine or other substances
that kill the rabies virus.
The first symptoms of rabies may be very similar to those of
the flu including weakness or discomfort, fever, or headache. These symptoms may last for days. There also may be discomfort or a prickling
or itching sensation at the site of the bite, progressing within days to
symptoms of cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, and agitation. As the disease progresses, the person may
experience delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, and insomnia.
The acute period of disease typically ends after 2 to 10
days. Once clinical signs of rabies
appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, and treatment is usually
supportive. Once a person begins to
exhibit signs of the disease, survival is rare.
See your doctor for attention for any trauma due to an
animal attack before considering the need for rabies vaccination. Your doctor will decide if you need a rabies
vaccination. Decisions to start
vaccination, known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), will be based on your
type of exposure and the animal you were exposed to, as well as laboratory and
surveillance information for the geographic area where the exposure occurred.
The Clark Co. Veterinary Clinic and the Clark Co. Health
Department have once again joined forces in the effort to prevent rabies. A rabies clinic is scheduled for September 25that the Clark Co. Veterinary Clinic located at 116 Hud Rd. from 6:00 P.M –
8:00P.M. The vaccinations are available
at a cost of $5.00. Additional
information may be obtained by contacting the Clark Co. Health Department at
859-385-4453.
Submitted by: Carlene
Whitt, Environmentalist
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