Once Ive been infected, How is rabies

Rabies
what are the next steps in detected?
treatment options? In Pets: In Humans:

Clean the wound immediately using warm In order to test any There is no one test
water, soap, alcohol cleaners, iodine, or animal that is that can confirm rabies
ammonium cleaners. Report to your physician Alex Barbera, Hannah Laslo,

suspected to have in humans. Samples

exactly what happened, including when and
where you were bitten, to help the treatment rabies they must be are taken from saliva, Bryce Spak, Victoria Stock
process.
euthanized. Samples serum, spinal fluid, and
must be taken from skin biopsies are taken
If possible, contain the animal for testing or
their brain stem and from the back of the
observation.

cerebellum. Results neck. All of them will

After cleaning the wound, you should report to can be confirmed be examined in the
your physician. Post exposure vaccines may within 24-72 hours.
laboratory for rabies
be administered based on risk assessment.
antigens.
This includes an immunization, human rabies However, it is not
immune globulin (HRIG), and a vaccine.

necessary to test every

Follow ups and additional doses of the vaccine suspected animal.
on days 3, 7 and 14, are required to ensure the Dogs, cats, and ferrets
disease is going away properly.
may be observed for
10 days to rule out the
Am I contagious to others? possibility of rabies.

No, you cannot spread rabies to others unless

you have fully developed the disease. You can
only fully develop rabies if you leave it completely
untreated. If you are being treated for rabies, you
are not contagious.

How is Rabies
contracted?
Saliva
NOT through blood,
urine, feces, skunk
Nervous Tissues
spray, petting a dry
animal, dry saliva
Tears

Mucous Membranes

Life Cycle of the Rabies Virus What is rabies?
Rabies is a virus that is given to humans through
infected animals. An infected animal will bite another
animal or a human to pass the disease along. When
an infected animal bites, its saliva enters the puncture
wound from its teeth. Rarely, it can be spread through
contact with a persons eyes, nose, or mouth.
What are the signs and
symptoms?
A person with rabies does not typically develop
symptoms until the disease progresses. This can
take up to an entire year. Once this process has
taken place, it is too late to treat and death is
unavoidable.

Risk Factors?

How can I avoid infection? Common signs and symptoms include: fever,
headaches, chills, agitation, confusion, tingling at
Stray animal exposure
In preventing rabies, it is important to ensure that the site of the wound, hallucinations, anxiety,
Individuals under 15

Bat exposure
insomnia, diculty swallowing, hydrophobia (fear of
Poor and Rural areas
your pets are vaccinated against it. This prevents
Multiple bites water), excessive salivation, and partial paralysis.

Africa and Asia

rabies from spreading any further. Pets should also
be monitored of their exposure to wildlife, they Reporting to your physician immediately after a bite
should be neutered or spayed, and you should wound from an infected animal is critical in the
report any ill-looking animals to animal control.
treatment of the disease.

Avoid leaving out food that would draw in wildlife to For more information, please visit:
your home and avoid venturing closer to wildlife,
just observe from afar. The best way to avoid https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/index.html

infection is to keep your pet up to date on their https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rabies/

vaccinations and to not let them wander freely. symptoms-causes/syc-20351821

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs099/en/