The incidence of rabies is reported world wide, with Asia and Africa topping the charts with regards to the fatality rate of the disease. The disease falls in the category of zoonotic diseases that denotes those infections that are communicated to the human race from animals. Rabies is believed to be transmitted through contact with the saliva or blood of the infected animal. |
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The maximum number of human deaths due to rabies is caused through dog bites. Contraction of rabies in humans through wild foxes, raccoons, skunks, jackals, wolves, livestock, horses and deer is comparatively a lesser possibility. Only in the year 2003, in South America, more numbers of people were recorded to have lost their lives due to rabies from bats and other wild animals in comparison to dogs.
The disease is brought on by a virus, which could gain entry into the victim’s body in numerous ways. The most common mode of transfer of the virus is coming in contact with the saliva of the infected animal either through a scratch or a bite. Another possibility of contracting the disease is coming in contact with the saliva through the mucus membrane of the eyes, nose and/or mouth. The least common mode of transmission of the rabies virus is reported to involve no contact at all. Cave explorers also referred to as spelunkers are reported to have contracted the virus through the respiratory tract. Breathing in atmosphere with high levels of aerosols released from the fecal matter of bats in known to result in the entry of the virus into the human body, thereby causing the disease. The initial indications of rabies come in the form of mild symptoms such as fever, headache and tiredness.
With the advancement of the infection, adverse effects are evident in the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. Treatment administered after the emergence of symptoms has little significance with the probability of death being very high by that time.
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