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RABIES

Rabies is a viral disease caused by lyssaviruses, primarily transmitted through bites or scratches from infected animals, especially dogs and bats. It leads to approximately 59,000 deaths annually, predominantly in Africa and Asia, and can be prevented through vaccination and immediate treatment after exposure. Rabies is classified as a neglected tropical disease, affecting over 3 billion people worldwide, with significant economic impacts estimated at $8.6 billion per year.

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17 views1 page

RABIES

Rabies is a viral disease caused by lyssaviruses, primarily transmitted through bites or scratches from infected animals, especially dogs and bats. It leads to approximately 59,000 deaths annually, predominantly in Africa and Asia, and can be prevented through vaccination and immediate treatment after exposure. Rabies is classified as a neglected tropical disease, affecting over 3 billion people worldwide, with significant economic impacts estimated at $8.6 billion per year.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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RABIES

Rabies is caused by lyssaviruses, including the rabies virus and


Australian bat lyssavirus. It is spread when an infected animal bites or
scratches a human or other animals. Saliva from an infected animal can
also transmit rabies if the saliva comes into contact with the eyes, mouth,
or nose. Globally, dogs are the most common animal involved. In
countries where dogs commonly have the disease, more than 99% of
rabies cases in humans are the direct result of dog bites. In the Americas,
bat bites are the most common source of rabies infections in humans, and
less than 5% of cases are from dogs. Rodents are very rarely infected with
rabies. The disease can be diagnosed only after the start of symptoms.
Animal control and vaccination programs have decreased the risk of
rabies from dogs in a number of regions of the world.
Immunizing people before they are exposed is recommended for
those at high risk, including those who work with bats or who spend
prolonged periods in areas of the world where rabies is common. In people
who have been exposed to rabies, the rabies vaccine and sometimes
rabies immunoglobulin are effective in preventing the disease if the
person receives the treatment before the start of rabies symptoms.
Washing bites and scratches for 15 minutes with soap and water,
povidone-iodine, or detergent may reduce the number of viral particles
and may be somewhat effective at preventing transmission. As of 2016,
only fourteen people were documented to have survived a rabies infection
after showing symptoms. However, research conducted in 2010 among a
population of people in Peru with a self-reported history of one or more
bites from vampire bats (commonly infected with rabies), found that out
of 73 individuals reporting previous bat bites, seven people had rabies
virus-neutralizing antibodies (rVNA). Since only one member of this group
reported prior vaccination for rabies, the findings of the research suggest
previously undocumented cases of infection and viral replication followed
by an abortive infection.
This could indicate that people may have an exposure to the virus
without treatment and develop natural antibodies as a result. Rabies
causes about 59,000 deaths worldwide per year, about 40% of which are
in children under the age of 15. More than 95% of human deaths from
rabies occur in Africa and Asia. Rabies is present in more than 150
countries and on all continents but Antarctica. More than 3 billion people
live in regions of the world where rabies occurs. A number of countries,
including Australia and Japan, as well as much of Western Europe, do not
have rabies among dogs. Many Pacific islands do not have rabies at all. It
is classified as a neglected tropical disease. The global cost of rabies is
estimated to be around US$8.6 billion per year including lost lives and
livelihoods, medical care and associated costs, as well as uncalculated
psychological trauma

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