Rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals, usually through a bite. In the U.S., rabies is mostly found in wild animals, such as raccoons, skunks, bats, coyotes, and foxes. Any mammal can get rabies but know that it’s extremely rare for an opossum. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), less than 1% of all reported rabies cases are in opossums.
“The rabies virus ascends the nerve up to the brain and then infects the brain,” explains Dr. Robert Jacobson, medical director for Mayo Clinic’s Primary Care Immunization Program. “It causes inflammation that’s overwhelming, changes in behavior—and eventually leads to seizures, coma and then death. We can’t do anything to prevent rabies once you’ve developed symptoms, and, so, we’re actually asking people instead to recognize when they might have been exposed.”
The first symptoms of rabies may be like the flu, including weakness, discomfort, fever, or headache. There also may be discomfort, prickling, or an itching sensation at the site of the bite. Someone who might have been exposed should seek medical care immediately to get a series of shots to prevent the infection from taking hold.
Rabies immune globulin is a passive immunization of collected antibodies against rabies injected directly into the wound if it’s an animal bite that is visible. This works immediately to give you protection while you’re waiting for your body to respond to the vaccine. The rabies vaccine is given on the day of the exposure, then a dose of vaccine given again on the third, seventh and fourteenth days.
To reduce your risk of coming in contact with rabid animals:
- Vaccinate your pets. Cats, dogs, and ferrets can be vaccinated against rabies. Ask your veterinarian how often your pets should be vaccinated.
- Keep your pets confined. Keep your pets inside and supervise them when outside. This will help keep your pets from coming in contact with wild animals.
- Protect small pets from predators. Keep rabbits and other small pets, such as guinea pigs, inside or in protected cages so that they are safe from wild animals. These small pets can’t be vaccinated against rabies.
- Report stray animals to local authorities. Call your local animal control officials or other local law enforcement to report stray dogs and cats. Know that many feral cats have been trapped, neutered, and vaccinated against rabies. Your local animal control has a list of licensed feral colonies whose caretakers abide by the vaccination rules.
- Don’t approach wild animals. Wild animals with rabies may seem unafraid of people. It’s not normal for a wild animal to be friendly with people, so stay away from any animal that seems unafraid.
- Keep bats out of your home. Seal any cracks and gaps where bats can enter your home. If you know you have bats in your home, work with a local expert to find ways to keep bats out.
“We remind parents to tell their children not to play with stray animals that might not have been vaccinated and/or might have been bitten by a raccoon, fox or skunk, which is actually exposing your child to possibly rabies,” says Dr. Jacobson.
Source: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/infectious-diseases-a-z-understanding-rabies/
