Causes and signs of rabies

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The quality of medical services has been growing rapidly over the past century. Many dangerous diseases have been completely defeated. But there are viruses that cannot be treated or are at great risk. One of these is rabies. It affects both animals and humans. The disease becomes fatal from the first days. Therapy can reduce the suffering of the patient, but the percentage of recovery is very small. This applies to those cases in which the virus did not have time to begin to destroy the central nervous system. That is, if the serum was injected immediately after the bite.

Mass vaccination

Speaking of rabies, we most often think of our smaller brothers. And rightly so, because the carriers of the disease are animals. Who also suffer and die. And not only dogs. Sometimes to village veterinary servicespeople turn to say that all the dogs in the village were he althy and suddenly at one moment several dozen fell ill at once. The cause is usually a sick fox or a raccoon dog that came to the village from the forest.

Therefore, it is extremely important to vaccinate all animals. It is not for nothing that today there are special services that often collect stray animals on a volunteer basis, vaccinate them, sterilize them, and then let them go back. Fed up by the tenants, it is quite capable of living its life in the courtyard of the house without being a danger. Domestic dogs, watchdogs in specialized facilities - all of them must be vaccinated every year and have a special passport. Those who know the signs of rabies and have seen the development of this disease will say that they will never leave an animal unprotected.

General characteristics

Rabies is dangerous to all mammals. In the case of dogs and other pets, we do preventive vaccinations and can be calm. Even if our pet meets a sick animal on the street, he will not get sick and will not infect us. Humans are not required to be vaccinated. They are left for emergencies. A person who complains of a dog bite automatically receives a referral to the treatment room for the appropriate vaccination. At the same time, doctors will not wait until signs of rabies appear, because it is too dangerous.

So what is rabies? This is an ailment with an acute course and a serious lesion of the central nervous system. When the first signs of rabies appeared, there was no hope of salvation.

Reason

The pathogen is very resistant to low temperatures. In the cold, it is only preserved, but does not lose the ability to live. Moreover, it is quite difficult to destroy it with the help of chemical attack. That is, disinfection will be practically ineffective.

In decaying material, the virus is capable of living for two weeks. This speaks of his amazing vitality. Sunlight and heat are also not harmful. When boiled, it dies quite quickly, and at 70 degrees it only loses activity. Therefore, an increase in body temperature, often up to 42 degrees, is an emergency measure for an organism that is trying to escape, but it is not effective.

Routes of infection

Like the signs of rabies, every person should know the ways of transmission in order to imagine where the threat can come from. Since pets must be vaccinated without fail, the threat is most often borne by yard and neglected cats and dogs. In nature, these are raccoons and foxes, wolves. Any biological fluid of an infected animal is a source of infection.

To penetrate the body, the virus must find any microcrack on the mucous membranes. Getting into the mouth, nose or eyes, it will surely find its way into the bloodstream, where it will begin its reproduction. There is always a risk of infection in an unvaccinated animal. That is why the signs of rabies in dogs should be well known to every owner. There is a risk of infection even if the animal does not walk on the street and uses the tray exclusively. Rodents can serve as a source of infection.

How quickly symptoms appear

Most of all the disease is common among stray dogs. But this does not mean that your pet is not endangered. The biggest danger is that the signs of rabies in dogs may not show themselves for a long time. Of course, a lot depends on the immunity of the animal, but in some cases the virus remains latent in the blood in the body for quite a long time. The reproduction of pathogens in the blood lasts up to three months, and for the first six weeks you will not even suspect that the animal is sick.

Even clinical tests can't always help. The first 5 days the virus cannot be detected in the saliva of the animal. Therefore, the pet must be protected from contact with any homeless animals, even if they do not look like patients at all.

Early Stage

Now we want to analyze in detail the symptoms and signs of rabies in dogs. In the early stages, it is quite difficult to understand that you are dealing with this particular virus. Fear of light and people can lead to such an idea. The animal clogs up in the darkest corner and whines when trying to get it out of there. In fact, with many pathologies and painful symptoms, the dog is looking for the darkest corner. But at the same time, she will be glad if the owner joins her, strokes and caresses. For fear of a person, the virus is most often diagnosed.

Other changes will occur within 2-10 days, which should make it clear thathappens to your pet. The first signs of rabies in a dog include severe weakness. Diarrhea often develops, the animal refuses food. Another indicative symptom is a violation of the swallowing reflex. It is clearly painful for the animal to swallow. The dog takes the tidbit in his mouth, but then spits it out, unable to swallow.

Development speed

The first signs of rabies in a dog are observed for several weeks. Sometimes it seems to the owner that the disease is receding. But this imaginary improvement will soon become much worse. Clinical signs of infection usually become apparent 3-8 weeks after the bite. During this time, the animal can have time to communicate with dozens of others, as well as with the whole family.

Symptoms depend on the density of nerve endings at the site of the bite. The closer it is to the head, the faster the disease can develop. The depth of the lesion is also indicative. Therefore, if you or your pet has a deep bite in the neck, face or muzzle, inflicted by another animal, then you need to seek help and inject a special serum.

Different forms of disease

It is generally accepted that only dogs are susceptible to illness from all domestic inhabitants. But this is not true. Signs of rabies in cats can be observed after they have eaten a sick mouse. Therefore, it is very important to vaccinate all pets.

In addition to all of the above, there are different forms. Therefore, diagnosis can be very complicated. It is necessary to consult a competent doctor, because it is quite easy toconfuse the onset of rabies with any other viral disease. If the doctor is in doubt, he will connect laboratory diagnostics. But at home, this is completely impossible.

Aggressive or violent form

The first signs of rabies in dogs, many think so. An animal tearing from a leash, barking at everyone, dripping with saliva. This is not always the case. But the aggressive form is quite common. In this case, the symptoms will progress as follows:

• Dogs shun people, often hide in dark corners.
• Food is usually refused, but greedily rushes at completely inedible objects.
• Aggression and anxiety are replaced by petting and endless licking of the owner's hands, but after a few minutes the dog may start barking again.
• A sign of rabies after a bite may be that the dog constantly gnaws on the affected area. Bandages don't help, she gets to the wound anyway.

But the most indicative symptom is a spasm of the muscles of the pharynx. The dog can not only eat, he is not able to lap up water. His voice is gradually lost, the animal is rapidly weakening. Death occurs at the moment when the virus finally affects the respiratory center or the heart muscle.

Paralytic form

This is another form of the disease that needs to be diagnosed. After a bite, signs of rabies can develop within 3-5 weeks. But very little time will pass before the death of the animal. Therefore thanthe sooner the doctor understands what he is dealing with, the more likely it is to protect your family members and other pets.

What is the difficulty of diagnosis? The dog gets sick very quietly, so it does not arouse suspicion from its owner. Usually she becomes very affectionate, wants to be with you all the time, faithfully licks her hands and face. So she can transmit the virus to her master.

Obvious disease becomes 3-5 days later. At this time, the prolapse of the tongue occurs and all other symptoms develop rapidly. There are not so many signs of rabies, so even an inexperienced owner should guess:

• Tongue falls out of mouth, dog cannot swallow.
• Saliva comes out in a copious cap.
• Paralysis and death. Doctors prescribe special drugs so that it is not too painful.

Atypical shape

It is very rare in pets. However, it is extremely difficult to diagnose. It is characterized by the fact that the animal begins vomiting and diarrhea. The disease proceeds in such a way that it is very easy to confuse it with gastritis or colitis. That is why diagnosing the disease can be very difficult.

There are three more forms of disease disease. It is recurrent, depressive and abortive. But they are found only in isolated cases, so today we will not talk about them.

Diagnosis of disease

The first signs of rabies can be expected for quite a long time. And they can be very similar to other serious illnesses. It can be a nervous form of plague, meningitis and encephalomyelitis. Preliminary diagnosiscan be put on the basis of the symptoms and the situation in the area where the dog was infected.

Diagnosis must be supported by reliable data. These are provided by the immunofluorescence method.

Is there a cure

Unfortunately, in most cases it is not possible. Usually the animal is kept in the hospital for up to 10 days. The vet is watching him closely. In those rare cases when the symptoms of the disease subside, we can say about the wrong diagnosis. Or the serum began to be injected immediately after the bite. In most cases, animals are euthanized. This is more humane than watching them suffer, because once symptoms begin, there is no chance of healing. This once again shows that it is extremely important to vaccinate your pets.

If you get bitten by a dog

It can just happen on the street. A dog affected by a virus can break loose and run away, while the owner has not yet realized what is happening to her. Usually an animal in this state does not growl or bark, but bites without warning. If this happened to you, especially if the animal had white foam on its face, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Things you can do yourself:

• Don't stop the bleeding, let it drain a little. Of course, if large vessels are not damaged.
• Wash the wound well with laundry soap, then treat with peroxide or brilliant green.
• Complete the full course of vaccinations prescribed by your doctor.

Signs of rabies in humans

If timely assistance was not provided, then the virus can begin its victorious march through the body. The incubation period can take from two weeks to three years. Long enough to forget what happened and not associate the symptoms with a dog bite.

During the incubation period, a person may experience weakness, his body temperature rises slightly. Prolonged headaches, sore throats and a runny nose may appear. But these are all just harbingers that can easily be confused with a cold or flu.

Stages of disease

Let's now look at the signs of rabies. After a dog bite, a certain amount of time must pass before you begin to notice them. It is customary to distinguish several stages, each of which has its own characteristics:

• Initial. It lasts only a few days. Usually, a rather strong, aching pain appears in the bite area. In this case, the wound may already be delayed, so the sensations are bewildering. The temperature rises to 37 degrees, irritability appears. There is a headache, and sometimes vomiting. Sleep is disturbed and there is no appetite.
• Stage of arousal. It usually lasts 2-3 days. The sensitivity of the nervous system increases, which affects the entire body without exception. The patient cannot quench his thirst, because there is a spasm of the swallowing muscles and the respiratory system. At the slightest stimulus, a person experiences severe seizures. It could be lights and sounds.
• The stage of paralysis. It usually lasts no more than 12hours. The temperature in this case rises to 42 degrees, convulsions intensify. A lethal outcome is inevitable, because the respiratory center and the heart are blocked.

Vaccination

Currently there are several vaccines. Their difference lies in the fact that one of them forms active immunity for a year. The second forms passive immunity, since it contains ready-made antibodies. This or that vaccine is chosen depending on the bite, its location and size. It is also necessary to take into account how much time has passed since the bite.

Instead of a conclusion

Rabies is a serious disease that is best prevented. Signs of rabies in a person after a bite may not begin to develop immediately, but in almost 100 percent of cases they will be fatal. Therefore, all pets must be vaccinated. Whenever possible, participate in charity events that vaccinate homeless animals. This reduces the risk of outbreaks. If you have been attacked, seek immediate medical attention. Of course, a course of preventive vaccinations is not the best, but it is not comparable with the disease.