Pet Sense (Archives)
All Creatures Animal Hospital
1894 Ohio Pike 797-(PETS)
Rabies
Every year, more than 30,000 people in the United States are exposed to rabies. Worldwide, about 55,000 people die from the virus, equaling about one totally preventable human death every 10 minutes.
Many cases originate from contact with animals carrying the deadly virus, so veterinarians and other animal care workers are especially at risk.
Staying up-to-date on vaccinations and educating the public about the risks associated with rabies and how infection can be prevented are key elements to keeping the spread of rabies at bay. The initiation of World Rabies Day in 2006 was a combined effort by numerous animal and human health organizations to spread the word about rabies, and that effort continued this year with the fifth annual World Rabies Day observation on Wednesday (Sept. 28th).
Vaccination prior to possible exposure is a crucial part of health management of domestic animals, and is the single most important factor in rabies prevention. In most cases, disease is transmitted via bite wound. Only mammals are susceptible to infection, and wildlife is the primary animal group where infection occurs. When wildlife comes into contact with humans or domestic animals, rabies becomes a public health problem. Despite vaccination being readily available, every year the U.S. reports several human deaths from rabies, not to mention hundreds of dog and cat deaths. Rabies is nearly untreatable once symptoms begin despite all the resources of modern medicine and it is important to take its threat seriously. It is because of rabies that most municipalities have dog licensing requirements in order to ensure that the community’s dogs are vaccinated.
But where to start?
Rabies is considered one of the world’s oldest viral problems, with the first written record of the infection in dogs dating back to 1930 B.C. It was virtually eradicated in the United Kingdom through strict wandering animal and vaccination regulations in the 20th century, but raccoons have increased the spread of the disease in the United States, and recent pet booms have increased the incidence of infection in East Asia. Beijing in China has instituted a one-dog per person policy to help control the spread of the disease, while India reports the highest incidence of human rabies anywhere in the world.
Now that the human-animal bond is increasing, and domestic animals are in greater contact with wildlife as they move into suburban areas, there is even more concern. People need to be reminded constantly to vaccinate their pets and the simple message of “if you can touch it, DON’T” for people who find it hard to resist the urge to welcome wild animals with open arms.
Spreading the word
World Rabies Day allows organizations from all over the world to come together to offer education and free vaccination clinics. But World Rabies Day will not be a one-stop event. Events are planned throughout the year all over the world as authorities aim to re-educate each continent about the disease and what impact it could have if not addressed.
In the United States alone, more than 30 events were scheduled in observation of World Rabies Day. All Creatures participated by having a Pet Health day and $5 rabies clinic in Adams county at Holy Trinity church in West Union.
In Africa, a national event took place in Angola in July involving a door-to-door vaccination plan. Other events scheduled in Africa included mass vaccinations and festivals in the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland and the United Republic of Tanzania.
The most common wildlife species to spread rabies to domestic animals and humans in the Northern Hemisphere are the skunk, bat, raccoon, fox, and coyote. It should be noted in particular that wildlife, bats especially, are able to gain access to indoor areas and potentially infect pets and people. When human exposure to the animal in question is involved, what happens depends on an assortment of criteria. If the animal in question is dead, its brain can be tested for rabies. There is no test for rabies in a living animal but since we know that death follows quickly after the virus becomes contagious, a living animal can be confined for 10 days. If the animal is still alive 10 days after biting a person, then the bite could not have transmitted rabies.
Prevention
Fortunately, rabies prevention is accomplished with vaccination and limiting exposure to wildlife. The standard killed-virus vaccines are available for dogs, cats and ferrets. After the initial dose, which is good for one year, subsequent doses are generally good for three years. Because of an association with tumor development in cats with killed virus vaccine, a recombinant product is now available that uses a portion of rabies viral DNA cloned into a harmless canarypox virus. This vaccine is just as effective as the traditional vaccines but must be administered annually. Rabies vaccination protocols are typically controlled by municipal regulations. Most communities legally require vaccination of all dogs. The American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends rabies vaccination for all cats.
The Law Regarding Animal Bites
In our area, if the biting domestic animal has been legally vaccinated against rabies by a veterinarian and is current, only routine first aid may be necessary. If the animal has not been currently vaccinated, it must be confined for 10 days at the owner’s expense for observation and then vaccinated at the end of that period.
The purpose of the ten-day period is to determine if rabies virus could have been in the animal’s saliva at the time of the bite. An animal infected with rabies and shedding virus will certainly be dead within ten days.
If the biting domestic animal is known to have been exposed to wildlife, the situation is different. A vaccinated animal must be re-vaccinated within 48 hours and confined for observation for 30 days. Unvaccinated animals must either be confined for 6 months or be euthanized and tested for rabies. All bites that break the skin are reportable to the health department. In our area, all dogs and cats must be legally vaccinated against rabies.
If you are Exposed
A fresh bite wound should be washed out with water quickly as this may wash out viral particles. The time it takes for the virus to reach the brain depends on the amount of virus present in addition to the proximity of the wound to the head.
If the animal is dead, the head of the biting animal is submitted to the health department for fluorescent antibody testing for the rabies virus. This process takes a matter of hours so that any bite victims can know right away if they will require rabies treatment. If the biting animal is living, its vaccination status should be confirmed as soon as possible and it will need to be confined. The bite wound should be reported to the health department as soon as possible.
Fortunately, myself (Veterinarians have a rabies exposure risk more than 300 times that of the general population.) and most of my family is vaccinated against Rabies. It is advised that anyone who is pursuing a career with animals be vaccinated against rabies.
