Facts About Rabies
15th November 2008 by Symptoms of Rabies No CommentsFACTS ABOUT RABIES
Here are some important FACTS about rabies that people should know about:
1. An average of one individual dies each year from rabies in the United States. However, statistics show that there is an approximate of more than 45,000 people who die of rabies on a yearly basis.
2. There is rabies in almost all countries around the world except for some islands like Australia and Antarctica.
3. In America, raccoons account for the most number of rabies cases while skunks come in at number two.
4. All warm blooded animals are known to be susceptible to the Lyssa virus. But only carnivores are considered carriers.
5. FACTS show that more individuals die from dog attacks as compared to those who die from rabies infection.
6. PEP or Post Exposure Prophylaxis is the treatment for humans exposed to the rabies virus. The composition of PEP includes human rabies immune globulin and five doses of rabies shots.
7. At present, the only known effective test for rabies can only be done on the brain of the infected patient after its death using the DFA test or Direct Flourescent Antibody test. There are other kinds of tests that can be done for diagnostic purposes but such tests are still unreliable.
8. FACTS reveal that is possible for the rabies virus to appear in saliva even before the early signs or symptoms of the disease manifest. In various experiments conducted to verify its validity, rabies in skunks tend to occur in their saliva at or before the time signs of infection actually appear.
9. One of the most interesting FACTS is the one that states that there are more polio cases than there are rabies cases in humans each year.
Knowing these facts is necessary to have a better understanding on how to deal with rabies. Just like how the old saying goes…”It’s better to be safe than sorry!”
