Rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a disease that inflicts both domestic and wild animals, and can be transferred to humans. The rabies disease is caused by the rabies virus, of which there are several different strains. Many people often associate rabies with wild animals or dogs, but rabies is often more popular in cats. Of the domesticated animals discovered each year to be infected with the rabies virus, the vast majority of them are cats that were not vaccinated at a younger age, as kittens.
Of all of the domesticated animals that are reported each year to be infected with the rabies virus, nearly 90% of them are cats, dogs, or cattle. The remaining 10% of reported cases are made up primarily of ferrets, goats, mules, sheep, and horses, although horses infected with the rabies virus seem to be far less predominate. Of the wild animals that are reported each year as infected with the rabies virus it is very often a skunk or raccoon. Both skunks and raccoons are notoriously known for their likely hood of carrying the rabies virus, if you have been bitten by either or these animals it is very important to seek medical attention right away.
Other animals in the United States that are known as being likely infected with the rabies virus includes foxes, bats and several different breeds of rodents, as with a skunk or raccoon wound, if you are bitten or scratched by any of these animals it is important that you seek medical assistance as soon as possible. The rabies virus can be easily transmitted to humans through these animal caused wounds. The rabies virus presents it self in the saliva of an infected animal. This is why a bite or scratch that punctures skin from an infected animal can be such a likely cause of transfer for the rabies virus. If an infected animal had been licking its paws before the scratch, it is likely that the virus can be embedded within the claws and transferred through a puncturing wound.
The rabies virus plays such a strong role on the animal’s behavior. The reason that rabies can effect an animal’s disposition so much is that the rabies virus directly affects the central nervous system, essentially driving the infected animal insane. The rabies virus is capable of entering into the nervous system through nerve cells at the site of the infected wound, from this puncture wound the rabies virus will travel directly to the brain and begin the destruction of the central nervous system. This is just one more reason why if you suspect an animal may be infected, that you avoid the animal as much as possible.
