The disease is a disease that compromises the central nervous system and, if not treated properly, can cause the disease within 5 to 7 days, this disease has a cure, provided that the person seeks medical help immediately after being bitten by an infected animal or when symptoms appear.
The causal agent of rabies is the rabies virus, which belongs to the order Mononegaviral, the family Rhabdoviridae and the genus Lyssavirus. Animals that can transmit rabies are mainly dogs and cats; However, all hot-blooded animals can become infected and transmit this virus to humans. Examples include bats, cattle, pigs, raccoons and monkeys.
- Human symptoms in humans eat about 45 days after the bite of the infected animal.
- As the virus must release the brain before causing any type of symptom.
- So it is common for the person to have been bitten for some time before showing any symptoms.
- Signs of the symptom.
However, when the first symptoms appear, they should be similar to those of the flu and include:
In addition to this, discomfort and a stinging sensation may also occur at the site of the sting.
As the disease develops, other symptoms related to brain function appear, such as anxiety, confusion, restlessness, abnormal behaviors, hallucinations, and insomnia.
When symptoms of brain function appear, the disease is usually fatal; And so, the person must be hospitalized so that the drug can be seen intravenously, and thus try to relieve discomfort.
In the early stages of infection, animals infected with this virus may be weak, with constant vomiting and weight loss, however, these symptoms progress and there is excessive salivation, abnormal and aggressive behavior, including self-consumption.
Transmission of the virus is through direct contact, if you choose, it is necessary that the saliva of the infected person or animal comes into contact with an inherited skin, with the membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth. For this reason, It causes the most common transmission of rabies through the bite of the animal, the most unusual being that presented by spiders.
The best way to protect yourself from rabies is to vaccinate all cats and dogs against rabies; because, in this way, animals will not become infected and if a human is bitten by one of them, he risks contagion.
Other preventive measures include avoiding contact with animals, abandoned animals and wild animals; even if you don’t show the current signs of rabies, it can take weeks or months to appear.
In addition, people working with animals may also, as a precaution, be vaccinated against rabies; I can say they’re at risk of getting infected. You know when to get vaccinated against rabies and what you need.
When a person is bitten by an animal, especially if it is a stray, and even in the face of current signs of rabies, the wound area should be washed with soap and water, and also attend emergencies at the health center to assess the risk. to become infected with the rabies virus.
Thus, the health team will launch the virus exposure protocol, which is implemented with the implementation of different doses of the rabies vaccine.
When the person receives medical attention at the time of the animal bite and symptoms of brain infection appear, hospitalization in the intensive care unit is generally recommended, depending on severity, the person can remain isolated, with deep sedation and assisted breathing. During the hospital stay, the person should be fed a nasoenteric tube, use a bladder catheter and serum intravenously.
When the diagnosis is confirmed, if drugs such as amantadine and biopterin are indicated, midazolan, fentanyl, nimodipine, heparin and ranitidine may also be used to avoid further complications.
To track an individual’s improvement, several tests are performed to monitor levels of sodium, magnesium, zinc, T4, TSH, and arterial blood gases, as well as examination of cerebrospinal fluid, cranial doppler, MRI, and CT scan.
After confirmation of the complete elimination of the virus from the body, by examinations, the individual can be released, however, this situation is rare, since most people with the developed infection may end up losing it.