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Rabies is a viral disease that is caused due to the bite of an animal such as a stray dog. Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of animals who bite a person. It is one of the oldest diseases caused in human beings by the bite of infected animals. Rabies leads to encephalomyelitis which is the inflammation of the brain as well as the spinal cord. Rabies is not only caused by dogs, but by other animals such as rabbits, cats, and fox also. This infection mainly happens in the central nervous system of human beings. Rabies causes about 24,000–60,000 deaths around the world per year.
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Key Terms: Rabies, Viral Diseases, Encephalomyelitis, Central Nervous System, Spinal Cord, Rabies Virus, Saliva, Vaccination
What is Rabies?
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Rabies is a viral infection that happens when bitten or scratched by dogs, cats, or some wild or domestic animals. Rabies is caused by the infection of the rabies virus which belongs to a family called Rhabdoviridae. This virus takes the shape of a bullet. It affects the central nervous system or spinal cord. If bitten by an animal, one must go to the doctor very quickly and wash the wound with water very carefully.
Rabies
Read More: Infectious Diseases
Symptoms of Rabies
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The main symptoms of rabies are listed below:
- Headache
- Swelling in the brain and spinal cord
- Fear of water
- Nausea
- Stomach ache
- Muscle cramps
- Insomnia
- Fever
- Anxiety
- Drowsiness
- Too much secretion of saliva
- Difficulty in swallowing
Causes of Rabies
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Rabies is caused by dogs or other infected animals' deep bites or scratches. Stray dogs and other wild animals are one of the major carriers of rabies. Bats are also dangerous wild animal that causes rabies in the human body. The saliva of animals can cause rabies in the human body.
Rabies is not only caused in the human body by animals, it happens sometimes through animal to animals or human infections and is transmitted through another human body. If a wild animal has bitten a human being, they should vaccinate at that moment only as rabies causes more problems in the human body. Rabies can cause either coma or death. In India, a large number of people are infected by rabies.
Read More: Modes of Transmission of Diseases
Prevention and Treatment of Rabies
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There is no cure for the rabies-infected person, only one has to maintain a distance from wild animals or should get all the domestic or wild animals vaccinated and should have some knowledge about rabies.
Firstly, one has to take care of wounds that happen from the biting of dogs, then clean the nearest area of a wound with water and soap very clearly so that it doesn't create a problem. After cleaning very nicely, doctors recommended some medicines like benzalkonium chloride or povidone-iodine which can cure rabies a few times.
There is no other treatment available for rabies, so we have to only be careful about the pets or animals so that they don’t bite us. Some of the measures to prevent rabies are as follows:
- Vaccinate your pets first.
- Don’t approach wild animals at home
- Keep bats out of your homes
- While travelling, the rabies vaccination should be done for your pets.
- Wash the scratched or bitten area with soap and put ointments on that wound.
Vaccination of Animals to Prevent Rabies
Read More: Antiseptics and Disinfectants
Things to Remember
- Rabies is a viral disease that is caused due to the bite or scratches of stray animals mainly dogs.
- Rabies is caused by the infection of the rabies virus which leads to encephalomyelitis, the inflammation of the brain as well as the spinal cord.
- It can also be caused by other animals such as rabbits, cats, foxes, bats, etc and is spread through the saliva of infected animals.
- In case of any dog bite, one must go to the doctor, otherwise clean the wound or scratches area with soap or water carefully.
- One must vaccinate their pets or other wild animals to prevent rabies infection.
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Sample Questions
Ques. How is rabies caused in human beings? (3 Marks)
Ans. Rabies is an infection that spreads in the human body after being bitten or scratched by dogs. After the nervous system, the saliva is mixed with blood and its effect on the human brain and spinal cord. In short, it generally affects the central nervous system.
Ques. What are the symptoms of rabies? (3 Marks)
Ans. The symptoms of rabies are-
- Swelling in the brain and spinal cord
- Headache
- Stomach pain
- Fear of water
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Muscle cramps
- Fever or anxiety
Ques. Are only dogs the reason behind rabies? (3 Marks)
Ans. No, dogs are not the only animals that cause rabies. There are other animals too like bats, wolves, foxes, cats, etc that cause rabies infection. The saliva of the infected animals is how the infection spreads to humans and other animals.
Ques. Are there any medicines available for the cure of rabies? (3 Marks)
Ans. No, there are no such medicines available for rabies. One has to take care or make sure that the vaccination of domestic animals is done because domestic or wild animals are the main reasons for rabies. In the case of rabies, prevention is the only solution.
Ques. Does rabies cause death? (3 Marks)
Ans. Yes, rabies also causes death if it is not cured at the right time. It should be consulted by doctors at that time only when dogs bite the human being otherwise it becomes very serious. It can either lead to death or coma.
Ques. What is the treatment or prevention for rabies? (5 Marks)
Ans. For the prevention of rabies infection, there are a few tips-
- Firstly wash the wound with water or soap very clearly so the infected area is clean.
- Go to the doctor instantly.
- Vaccinate your pets before this happens.
- Keep bats out of your house. Bats also infect people with rabies.
- Don’t approach wild animals at home.
Ques. How is rabies transmitted in human beings? (3 Marks)
Ans. Rabies is transmitted to humans through the saliva of the infected person. Once, the virus enters the tissues of the human body, it starts to multiply. and affect the tissues. The virus travels to the central nervous system through the spinal cord and reaches the brain causing a serious brain disorder called encephalitis which in turn causes a number of symptoms to arouse in the human body. It can also even lead to the death of the person.
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