21 Symptoms of Rabies, Pay Attention to the Causes and How to Overcome Them

Kapanlagi.com - Maybe you have heard of a disease called rabies or often referred to as mad dog disease. It is called so because in Southeast Asia, the most likely animal to transmit rabies is wild dogs. However, the symptoms of rabies can also appear in humans after being infected with this virus.

This can happen because this virus infects the nervous system of mammals, including humans. After the appearance of rabies symptoms, it almost always leads to death. This applies to anyone at risk of contracting this disease. Therefore, rabies vaccine is needed as a preventive measure.

Rabies needs to be wary of because it is highly lethal and zoonotic, meaning transmission can occur from animals to humans. The transmission process usually occurs due to viral particles from the saliva of infected animals entering the human body, usually through bites.

If you experience symptoms of rabies, you need to remember if your body has recently been bitten by a dog, cat, raccoon, monkey, or bat. Although many animals have the potential to transmit rabies virus, more than 99 percent of deaths are caused by bites from infected dogs. To increase awareness, you need to pay attention to information about the symptoms of rabies, the causes, and how to overcome them.

1. Symptoms of Rabies

Illustration (Credit: Freepik)

The symptoms of rabies may initially appear similar to the flu, but last for days. After that, usually more serious symptoms will appear. In many cases, these symptoms gradually appear four to twelve weeks after infection.

The incubation period (the time it takes for the virus to enter and infect) varies in each person. It depends on the depth of the bite, the location of the brain, the type of virus, and the immune system of each person. However, you still need to be aware of the following symptoms of rabies.

1. Fatigue
2. Fever
3. Headache
4. Pain at the site of the bite

The above symptoms can last for several days. At that time, the virus travels to the brain through the nearest nerves and causes further symptoms as follows.

5. Nausea
6. Vomiting
7. Agitation
8. Restlessness
9. Confusion
10. Aggression and easily angered
11. Seizures
12. Hyperactivity
13. Fear of water (hydrophobia)
14. Difficulty swallowing
15. Excessive salivation
16. Speech difficulties
17. Fear caused by attempts to drink fluids due to difficulty swallowing water
18. Hallucinations
19. Insomnia
20. Partial paralysis
21. Sensitivity

The above symptoms can be considered as signs that the disease has entered the acute period. If this continues, it usually lasts from two to ten days.

2. Causes of Rabies

Illustration (Credit: Freepik)

As explained above, symptoms of rabies appear after infection with the virus, which may be obtained from animal bites. In addition to bites, the scratches of infected animals are also dangerous because animals have the habit of licking their own claws.

In addition, rabies can also be transmitted through open wounds on the skin or mucous membranes (eyes and mouth) exposed to the saliva of infected animals.

Not only stray dogs like most cases in Southeast Asia, there are also other animals that have the potential to carry the virus and infect humans.

1. Livestock and pets such as cows, goats, horses, and cats.

2. Wild animals such as bats, foxes, monkeys, raccoons, and otters.

When the above animals are infected and you come into contact with them, it means you are also potentially infected. The rabies virus from the animal's saliva enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body.

When it successfully reaches the brain, the virus will multiply rapidly and cause severe inflammation. That's when you will experience the tormenting symptoms of rabies. The condition of the brain and spinal cord experiencing severe inflammation is what potentially causes death.

In addition to contact with infected pets, there are other factors that can increase your chances of being infected with rabies. Pay attention to the following factors so that you can be more careful.

1. Engaging in outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, or exploring forests. These activities provide opportunities for you to come into contact with wild animals whose health is not guaranteed.

2. Traveling to rabies-endemic areas or places with poor sanitation, abundant wild animals, and far from vaccination centers.

3. Preventing and Managing Rabies

Illustration (Credit: Freepik)

Prevention

The appearance of rabies symptoms can be considered as a sign of a fatal condition. However, prevention can still be taken by getting rabies vaccination. Rabies vaccination needs to be done especially by individuals at high risk of exposure to the virus, such as veterinarians, animal handlers, and laboratory workers. People who will travel to rabies-endemic areas also need to pay attention to this as a preventive measure.

Rabies vaccination carried out before exposure to the virus consists of three stages.

1. First dose.
2. Second dose given seven days after the first dose.
3. Third dose given 21 or 28 days after the first dose.

As a preventive measure, you also need to pay attention to the health condition of your pets by following these steps.

1. Vaccination of all pets against rabies.
2. Supervise pets when they roam outside the house.
3. Burn or bury animals that die from rabies infection at least one meter away.
4. Avoid direct contact with wild animals.

Treatment

You can start treatment after being bitten by an animal. The first aid you need to do is immediately wash the bite wound with soap and running water.

Since you do not know the condition of the animal, you should seek medical assistance to receive immediate help. This is necessary because there is actually no effective treatment after being infected with rabies. Therefore, after being bitten or scratched by an animal suspected of being infected with rabies, you must immediately receive post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) which consists of:

1. Injection of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) which functions to quickly neutralize the virus to prevent it from infecting the body.
2. Serial rabies vaccination is necessary so that the body can recognize the causative virus and enhance immunity to fight the virus. This vaccine is administered in four doses within 14 days. The first dose is given on the same day as the suspected rabies infection, namely when bitten by an animal. It is then continued on the third, seventh, and fourteenth day.

Those are some things you can pay attention to regarding the signs or symptoms of rabies, as well as the causes and ways to overcome it.

(kpl/ans)