Rabies
Introduction
Rabies is defined as a disease resulting from animal bites have the rabies virus. This virus damages the brain cells, and paralyses the spinal cord (Jackson, Alan and William, 2). This disease can be found anywhere in the world and has been in existence for many centuries. After the virus has been transmitted into the human body, it can take up to 12 weeks for symptoms to start showing, and it was not until the 19th century that people realize that there is no accurate diagnosis of this disease. The Rabies virus is commonly spread by domestic dogs, even though wild animal such as bats and wolves can also spread it. These animals spread rabies virus through wound inflicting bite and scratching. Rabies is a disease that mostly affect the poor that live in rural remote areas. There are post bite vaccines to prevent the rabies virus from affecting someone after a bite or a scratch.
Rabies virus is transmitted through a bite by an infected animal. This virus finds its way through the skin. After the virus is introduced in the body it starts to affect the nervous tissues and the amount of the virus continues to increase at the inflicted wound for about a week. This virus might alternatively be transported to the base of the spinal cord where it continues to increase, and then the virus is transported back to the infected wound and the brain. The transportation of this virus is facilitated by motor neurons. When this virus enters the brain, it affects all the neutrons in the brain cells (Jackson, Alan and William, 29). This virus cannot be tested through blood since it is never present in blood. Death from rabies is as a result of neutron alteration that is cause by the competition between the rabies RNA and the RNA present in the host.
Rabies has five stages the first stage; incubation, prodromal, acute neurological stage, coma stage and lastly the death stage. After exposure to the rabies virus the symptoms can begin after a few days or weeks, or even one or two years. At the beginning of the first stage incubation, the symptoms are mostly similar to those of flu, this stage mostly takes place from 30 days after infection till 90 days of the infection. Serious symptoms begin showing in the seconds stage prodromal, at this stage one feels a certain discomfort that they cannot identify, the victim experiences nausea, vomiting and indigestion and other gastrointestinal symptom. The victim also experiences mild fever in this stage. In this stage, the victim is likely to go through psychiatric disturbances such as insomnia, agitation and lastly depression (Baer, 209).
When the victim approaches the third stage the virus starts affecting the brain, the victim starts oozing foam from the mouth. In other case where the virus affects the spinal cord, it paralyses it, causing the victim to be weak, this stage lasts for about 2-7 days. After this period the respiratory system of the victim begins to fail, and this marks the beginning of the coma stage which lasts for a maximum of 7 days before the victim reaches the final stage, death which might be delayed by putting the victim on life support, but eventually the victim will die (Baer, 209). There is close to none chance of surviving rabies after it has passes its second stage.
Today Asia and Africa attributes to 95%victims of rabies. In today’s world rabies is well controlled even in developed countries. the World Health Organization declared rabies as a neglected tropical disease that mostly affects the poor. WHO embarked on a rabies eradication campaign in the south east part of Asia and is targeting to have completely eradicated rabies by the end of 2020. An example of this campaign was launched in Bangladesh in 2010, WHO is eliminating rabies by carrying out mass dog vaccination and availing vaccines for those who come in contact with the rabies virus (World Health Organization, 13). This reduced death caused by rabies by 50% in 2010-2013. Bill & Melinda Gates is another foundation that is working with WHO towards eradication of rabies.
To prevent this deadly disease, precautions must be taken. Domestic animals such as dogs and cats should be vaccinated against this disease regularly. People must be educated on preventive measures. These preventive measures include; avoiding contact with and reporting any stray animals to relevant authorities, when a domestic animal bites or scratches a person it should be examined immediately to know if the animal has rabies or not, the person should also allow the wound inflicted to bleed then later was it with water and seek medical assistance from a doctor (World Health Organization, 13). It is only by educating the general public on measures to control rabies that it can be fully eradicated.
Mostly, the rabies vaccine is given to a person after the person has been exposed to the virus, people such as forest rangers, veterinarians and people who are vaccinating animals against this disease are allowed to take the vaccines before exposure, since they are dealing with animals that might be having this disease without their knowledge. Currently, there are only three vaccines in the market. Before one is exposed to any field with rabies, they receive a pre-exposure shot three days in advance. The vaccine is injected in the muscles instead of fatty tissues (Jackson, Alan and William, 3). There is a treatment, Milwaukee Protocol, which is offering hope for a rabies cure.
Conclusion
Rabies is a disease caused by a virus. This disease is mostly found in animals which later transmit it to humans through bites and scratches. The virus increases in the body and later it affects the brain and the spinal cord. It has five stages; incubation, prodromal, acute neurological, coma stage and death. Today WHO is working with foundations such as Bill &Melinda Gates to eradicate rabies completely, by availing drugs at a considerable price and carrying mass vaccination of dogs. It is advisable that preventive measures should be taught to people in order they can be aware of how to deal with this disease. There are three vaccines for this virus and the hopes for a cure lies in a treatment by the name Milwaukee Protocol.
Work cited
Jackson, Alan C, and William H. Wunner. Rabies. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Academic, 2007. Internet resource.
Who Expert Consultation on Rabies: First Report. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2005. Internet resource.
Baer, George M. The Natural History of Rabies, Volume 1. Saint Louis: Elsevier Science, 2014. Internet resource.
