What is Rabies Disease?

What is Rabies Disease? Signs and Symptoms and its Prevention Strategies

Rabies is a disease you contract from infection with the RABV virus. In Asia and Africa, dog bites are the leading cause of rabies infections, while in the United States, bat bites are the most frequent cause of transmission.

Rabies can be avoided if you get vaccinated as soon as possible after being exposed. However, if symptoms appear, rabies can become dangerous. Thus, it is crucial to understand the symptoms, how it can be treated, and how to prevent them.

Read ahead to understand more about rabies.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Rabies?

Symptoms of rabies do not become evident until late in the course of the disease, and by that time, the virus has already spread to the brain to cause encephalitis and death within a few days.

Rabies also has an incubation period and thus remains dormant in the victim's body for a couple of days before symptoms and signs show. Headache, sore throat, fever, and numbness at the site of the bite are a few symptoms that appear in the beginning.

In the early stages, a person may suffer excessive salivation, trouble swallowing, and an odd fear of water, and the severe pain or discomfort it causes while swallowing. As the disease advances, anxiety, confusion, and sleeplessness may develop, followed by partial paralysis or even coma in severe cases.

Rabies is characterized by high sensitivity to external stimuli. The affected person may exhibit intolerance to sound, light, and even a cold current of air. This hypersensitivity frequently results in aerophobia—an intense fear of air movement across the skin that can be highly uncomfortable.

What is the Treatment for Rabies?

If you are bitten by an animal and suspect rabies, there might be a visible wound, so consult a nearby doctor or clinic promptly. Otherwise, here’s what you can do:

• Step 1: Clean the wound and surrounding skin immediately with soap and water.
• Step 2: If the animal is known to have rabies, the anti-rabies vaccine will be administered immediately. It is preferable to get the vaccination if you are not sure if the animal is rabid.
• Step 3: If the animal is a pet or farm animal, it can be observed for about ten days to watch for signs of rabies. If it's healthy and shows no sign of having rabies, the injection might not be needed.(Note: The 10-day observation applies only if the bite is from a healthy, vaccinated dog or cat, per local public health law).

How to Prevent Rabies?

To lower your chances of coming into contact with rabid animals, consider the following tips:

• Get Your Pets Vaccinated: Timely shots can protect cats, dogs, and ferrets against rabies. Talk to your veterinarian to find out how often your pets need these vaccinations for continued safety.
• Keep Pets Indoors: When outside, keep the pets indoors and under supervision. This step can reduce the risk of your pets coming into contact with wild animals.
• Shield Pets from Predators: Keep rabbits and guinea pigs indoors or in enclosed cages so that wild predators cannot harm them.
• Report Stray Animals to the Authorities: Inform local animal control officers or other local law enforcement personnel about stray dogs and cats.
• Do not Approach Wild Animals: Wild animals infected with rabies may act strangely, showing no fear of humans. Stay away from any wild animal that approaches people, as this unusual friendliness can be a warning sign.

If you frequently interact with animals that may be infected with rabies, consider being vaccinated. If you're heading to a place where rabies is common and plan to stay for an extended period of time, consult your doctor about getting the rabies vaccine. This involves trips to isolated locations where medical treatment is difficult to obtain.

Rabies is usually fatal, and there are very few survivors. Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for rabies. Thus, seek immediate medical attention if you suspect rabies exposure or have been bitten by an animal. Hence, it is also essential to have health insurance to secure your health and finances in critical times.

At Star Health, we offer coverage for rabies treatment under our general insurance policies. We also provide hassle-free claim settlements with reduced turnaround time across over 14,000 network hospitals in India.