Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system of mammals that can cause agitation, paralysis and death. It is mainly transmitted through animal bites and exposure to infected saliva or tissues. While rare, it can be transmitted between humans. Early symptoms are flu-like but later include anxiety, confusion and insomnia. Dogs show abnormal aggression, paralysis and excessive salivation before death within 10 days. Post-exposure prophylaxis with vaccines is effective after exposure but once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal. Prevention focuses on vaccinating dogs to break transmission chains.
Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system of mammals that can cause agitation, paralysis and death. It is mainly transmitted through animal bites and exposure to infected saliva or tissues. While rare, it can be transmitted between humans. Early symptoms are flu-like but later include anxiety, confusion and insomnia. Dogs show abnormal aggression, paralysis and excessive salivation before death within 10 days. Post-exposure prophylaxis with vaccines is effective after exposure but once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal. Prevention focuses on vaccinating dogs to break transmission chains.
Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system of mammals that can cause agitation, paralysis and death. It is mainly transmitted through animal bites and exposure to infected saliva or tissues. While rare, it can be transmitted between humans. Early symptoms are flu-like but later include anxiety, confusion and insomnia. Dogs show abnormal aggression, paralysis and excessive salivation before death within 10 days. Post-exposure prophylaxis with vaccines is effective after exposure but once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal. Prevention focuses on vaccinating dogs to break transmission chains.
Q: What is rabies? A: Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system of mammals, including humans, that can cause agitation, paralysis, and death.
Q: How is rabies transmitted?
A: The rabies virus mainly spreads through animal bites, specifically, through the exposure of broken skin to the saliva, tears, or nervous tissue of infected animals. Direct contact of these bodily fluids with the mucous membrane of the eyes, nose and mouth is also a common route of transmission. The rabies virus cannot be found in blood and feces.
Q: Can rabies be transmitted from human to human?
A: It is extremely rare, but precautions still need to be taken to avoid coming into contact with the saliva and other bodily fluids of infected persons.
Q: What are the signs and symptoms of rabies?
A: The first symptoms of rabies are similar to those of the flu such as general weakness or discomfort, fever, and headache. As the rabies virus incubates inside the body, the person may experience an itching sensation around the bite area and symptoms of cerebral dysfunction such as anxiety, confusion, and agitation. Patients will later experience delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia, and insomnia as the disease progresses.
Q: What are the symptoms of rabies in a dog or animal?
A: Dogs infected with the rabies virus develop the following symptoms then die within 10 days.
● Unprovoked abnormal aggression
● Restlessness ● Incoordination and paralysis ● Lethargy ● Hoarse barking or inability to do so ● Hyper salivation, excessive salivation or foaming at the edges of the mouth.
Q: What is the incubation period?
A: Incubation takes two to three months as the rabies virus travels from the bite area to the central nervous system. There are exceptional cases where incubation only lasts 2-3 days or can take as long as six months. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON RABIES
Q: What should I do after an animal bite?
A: Immediately wash the bite or scratch area and apply iodine-containing medication on the wound. Confine the dog or animal for observation and report the circumstances of the bite to a healthcare professional. Not all animal bites require rabies specific treatment, but if the dog exhibits symptoms of the virus or its background is unknown (i.e. the dog is a stray), the person MUST get a rabies vaccine or post-exposure prophylaxis. Should the dog remain healthy after 10 days, it is still best to take the rabies vaccine preventively, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis.
Q: What is post-exposure prophylaxis?
A: PEP is the administration of the rabies vaccine to a person AFTER being exposed to the rabies virus. In countries where rabies is endemic, like the Philippines, it is necessary for a person to undergo post-exposure prophylaxis immediately after an animal bite, regardless of the health of the animal in question.
Q: What is pre-exposure prophylaxis
A: PrEP is the administration of the rabies vaccine BEFORE exposure to the rabies virus. It is recommended for individuals whose work puts them at a higher risk of animal bites or whose circumstances limit their ability to seek immediate medical attention.
Q: Can rabies be treated in humans?
A: Once clinical symptoms begin to develop, rabies is almost always fatal. There is currently no effective medication for patients who have entered this stage of the disease.
Q: What can be done to prevent the spread of rabies?
A: Dogs cause almost all cases of rabies in humans. As such, vaccinating at least 70 percent of dogs in places where rabies is endemic will break the transmission of the disease. Training dogs to socialize with people properly will contribute in minimizing the transmission of rabies by preventing animal bites altogether. Avoiding stray dogs will also keep chances of catching rabies in the community low. T: Ano ang rabis? S: Ang rabis ay isang sakit na dulot ng virus na nakaaapekto sa central nervous system ng mga mamal, kabilang ang mga tao, na pwedeng maging sanhi ng pagkabalisa, pagkaparalisa at kamatayan.
T: Paano kumakalat ang rabis?
S: Ang virus ng rabis ay karaniwang naisasalin sa pamamagitan ng mga kagat ng mga hayop, partikular, sa pamamagitan ng pagkalantad ng sugat sa laway, luha o nervous tissue ng mga hayop na may rabis. Ang direktang kontak nitong mga likido ng katawan sa mucous membrane ng mga mata, ilong at bibig ay isa ring karaniwang ruta ng transmisyon. Ang virus ng rabis ay hindi makikita sa dugo at dumi.
T: Pwede bang magpasa ang tao sa kapwa tao ng rabis?
S: Ito ay bihirang bihira o hindi pangkaraniwan ngunit ang pag-iingat ay kailangan upang maiwasan ang kontak sa laway at ibang likido sa katawan ng mga taong may rabis.
T: Ano ang mga palatandaan at sintomas ng rabis?
S: Ang unang sintomas ng rabis ay katulad sa sintomas ng trangkaso gaya ng panghihina o ‘di maayos na pakiramdam, lagnat at sakit ng ulo. Habang ang virus ng rabis ay nag-iincubate sa loob ng katawan ng tao, siya ay maaaring makaranas ng pangangati sa paligid ng lugar ng pinagkagatan at mga sintomas ng cerebral dysfunction gaya ng pagkabahala, pagkalito at pagkabalisa. Kalaunan, ang mga pasyente ay makararanas ng pagdedeliryo, ‘di normal na pagkilos, hallucination, hydrophobia o pagkatakot sa tubig at insomnia o hindi pagkakatulog habang ang sakit ay lumalala.
T: Ano ang mga sintomas na makikita sa aso o hayop na may rabis?
S: Ang mga aso na may virus ng rabis ay nagkakaroon ng mga sumusunod na sintomas at namamatay sa loob ng 10 araw.
● ‘Di inaasahang pag-atake
● Pagkabalisa ● Kawalan ng koordinasyon at pagkaparalisa ● Pananamlay o panghihina ● Namamaos na pagkahol o kawalan ng kakayahan gawin ito ● Labis na paglalaway o pagbula sa gilid ng bibig
T: Gaano katagal ang incubation period ng rabis?
S: Ang incubation nito ay inaabot ng dalawa hanggang tatlong buwan bago makarating ang virus ng rabis sa central nervous system galling sa lugar ng pinagkagatan. May mga ‘di pangkaraniwang kaso na kung saan ang incubation ay tumatagal lamang ng 2 hanggang 3 araw o maaaring umabot hanggang anim na buwan. T: Ano ang dapat kong gawin kapag nakagat ng hayop? S: Hugasan kaagad ang lugar ng pinagkagatan o kinalmot at magpahid ng gamot na may iodine sa sugat. Ikulong ang aso o hayop para maobserbahan at ipaalam ang pangyayari sa isang healthcare professional. Hindi lahat ng kagat ng hayop ay nangangailangan ng partikular na gamutan sa rabis, pero kung ang aso ay nagpapakita ng sintomas nitong virus, o di alam kung saan ito galing (i.e. ligaw na aso), ang taong nakagat ay DAPAT na mabakunan laban sa rabis o post-exposure prophylaxis. Kung ang aso ay malusog pa rin matapos ang 10 araw, mas mabuti pa ring magpabakuna laban sa rabis upang makaiwas, kilala sa tawag na pre-exposure prophylaxis.
T: Ano ang post-exposure prophylaxis?
S: Ang PEP ay ang pagbibigay ng bakuna laban sa rabis sa isang tao MATAPOS maexpose sa virus ng rabis. Sa mga bansa na kung saan ang rabis ay endemic, katulad ng Pilipinas, ang tao ay kailangang sumailalim agad sa post-exposure prophylaxis matapos makagat ng hayop, kahit ano pa ang kalagayan o kondisyon ng hayop.
T: Ano ang pre-exposure prophylaxis?
S: Ang PrEP ay ang pagbibigay ng bakuna laban sa rabis sa isang tao BAGO maexpose sa virus ng rabis. Inirerekomenda ang mga taong may trabaho na kung saan nalalagay sila sa malaking panganib na makagat ng hayop o nasa kalagayan na kung saan ang kanilang kakayahan ay nalilimitahan na maghanap ng agarang atensyong medikal.
T: Nagagamot ba ang rabis sa tao?
S: Kapag ang klinikal na mga sintomas ay nag-umpisa nang lumitaw, ang rabis ay halos palaging nakamamatay. Sa ngayon, wala pang mabisang gamot para sa mga pasyenteng nasa ganito nang stage ng sakit.
T: Ano ang pwedeng gawin para mapigilan ang pagkalat ng rabis?
S: Ang mga aso ang sanhi ng halos lahat ng kaso ng rabis sa tao. Dahil dito, ang pagbabakuna ng hindi bababa sa 70 porsiyento ng mga aso sa mga lugar na kung saan ang rabis ay endemic ay makapipigil sa pagkalat ng sakit. Ang pagsasanay sa mga aso na makihalubilo nang tama sa tao ay makatutulong sa pagpapababa ng transmisyon ng rabis sa pamamagitan ng pagpigil ng mismong sanhi ng mga kagat ng aso. Ang pag-iwas sa mga ligaw na aso ay makatutulong din mapababa ang tsansang magkaroon ng rabis sa komunidad.