Rabies prevention

Rabies is an acute infectious disease from the group of zoonoses caused by viruses and characterized by damage to the central nervous system. The disease remains incurable to this day and is always fatal. This is one of the most ancient diseases of animals and humans. According to the World Health Organization, rabies is registered in 111 countries of the world; over 50 thousand people and more than 1 million animals die from it every year.

World Rabies Day has been celebrated annually on September 28, starting in 2007 and the date was not chosen by chance. It was on this day in 1895 that the French scientist Louis Pasteur, one of the creators of the rabies vaccine, died. It should be noted that the prevention of rabies and today remains the most important problem not only in medicine, but also in veterinary medicine. Over the past 52 years (since 1968), 17 cases of human rabies have been registered in the Atyrau region. Sources of infection were dogs in 11 cases, predators (foxes, wolves) in 5 cases, and an unknown animal in 1 case. Of the sick, 12 people did not seek medical help, 3 people did not seek medical care in a timely manner, and 2 people died due to alcohol consumption while receiving anti-rabies vaccinations.

The last case of rabies was registered in 2010 in the village of Ganyushkino, Kurmangazinsky district, a 26-year-old man who was bitten by his own dog fell ill, did not apply for antirabies help.

The reservoir of the rabies virus in nature is wild animals - wolves, jackals, foxes and others. Among domestic animals, rabies affects dogs, cats, farm animals.

The disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of a rabid animal and the virus penetrates through damage to the skin and mucous membranes, and enters the brain through nerve fibers. Bites to the face, head, hands are especially dangerous. The incubation period of the disease in rabies, that is, the manifestation of the disease from the moment of the bite (salivation) can last from 7 days to a year or more. With the localization of the bite on the trunk or lower extremities, the incubation period can be long.

Children are more often sick with rabies. This is explained by the fact that they communicate more with animals.

To prevent rabies, a person who has been bitten or scratched by any animal should immediately consult a doctor at a trauma center for rabies treatment. In case of bites to the head, hands, multiple bites, any bites by wild carnivores, in addition to the rabies vaccine, a special drug is prescribed - rabies gamma globulin, which contains ready-made protective antibodies against the rabies virus. If vaccinations are carried out in a timely manner and correctly, the disease does not occur.

Anti-rabies vaccinations create immunity, immunity to the disease before the person has time to develop rabies. While receiving vaccinations against rabies, in order to maintain the body's defenses in the fight against the virus, it is recommended to strengthen and rich in vitamins nutrition, it is necessary to avoid overwork, hypothermia, overheating of the body, and do not drink alcohol.

Vaccinations should be started immediately after the bite, without waiting for the result of observation of the animal by the veterinarian. The virus is secreted along with the saliva of an apparently healthy animal 10 days before the onset of clinical signs of the disease.

Any unusual behavior of animals (an attack by domestic animals on family members without causing them painful effects, the appearance of wild animals in residential settlements, especially in the daytime, etc.) is regarded as a possible disease of their rabies.

To prevent rabies in animals, animal owners must strictly follow the rules for keeping pets. Once acquired, dogs and cats should be vaccinated against rabies.

Dog owners should keep them securely tied, in a kennel or house. It is necessary to take them out for a walk on a leash and in a muzzle, to prevent contact with stray dogs, which can become a source of rabies spread. If the character of the animal changes, you should try to stay away from it and call your veterinarian immediately.

It must be remembered that rabies is a very serious, fatal disease, so one should not be careless.