RABIES (phobia of water) is an acute infectious disease of the nervous system that is caused by a specific virus. The disease is fatal to both animals and people, and is still widespread throughout the world today. Wherever there are foci of rabies among animals, people are at risk of infection.
All warm-blooded animals are susceptible to rabies. On the territory of the republic, the infection is most often spread by animals such as foxes, wolves, raccoon dogs, cats and dogs, and farm animals. It should be said that a healthy wild animal always avoids meeting people, so the manifestation of unusual friendliness or pronounced aggression by a predator should alert people.
The disease is transmitted to humans from animals through bites, abrasions, scratches, salivation of the skin, mucous membrane of the eyes, mouth, nose, and through contact with any object or clothing contaminated with the saliva of a rabid animal. How does the disease manifest itself?
After a latent period, which lasts from 3 weeks to a year, depending on the location, degree of damage and type of animal (the most dangerous are bites / drooling / on the head, face, neck and fingers), a period of warning signs begins: the temperature rises, general malaise appears, headache, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. This state lasts for several days, after which a period of excitement begins with the most severe manifestations of the disease - fear of water and air, progressing to the stage of paralysis with a fatal outcome.
What preventive measures must be followed?
- all dogs and cats, regardless of breed and identity, must be vaccinated against rabies annually;
- a domestic dog on the street must be kept on a short leash, always wearing a muzzle, and must not be allowed to communicate with stray relatives. Dogs should not be walked under the windows of houses or on playgrounds, but in specially designated areas;
- at the first signs of unusual behavior, the animal should be immediately shown to a veterinarian;
- in case of a bite or scratch caused by any animal, you should immediately contact a medical institution to receive qualified medical care;
- the animal that inflicted the bite must be monitored for 10 days, and if after this period the animal turns out to be healthy, then the course of rabies vaccinations can be stopped;
- it should be remembered that rabies is an absolutely fatal disease, and a set of anti-rabies vaccinations is a reliable means of preventing it. Refusal of vaccinations or unauthorized interruption of the vaccination course is unacceptable, as it can lead to tragic consequences.
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