When you think about your family pet, what comes to mind? Sloppy kisses, playtime, outdoor walks … and rabies? probably not. most of us think of rabies as something only carried by wild animals, but in reality, any animal can be infected, including people. the best way to protect your family and pets from contracting rabies is to be informed, so let’s get familiar with the facts.

What is rabies?Rabies is a disease caused by the rabies virus. it may take several weeks or even a few years for people to show symptoms after getting infected with rabies, but usually people start to show signs of the disease 1 to 3 months after the virus infects them. the early signs of rabies can be fever or headache, but this changes quickly to nervous system signs, such as confusion, sleepiness, or agitation.

What most people don’t know is that rabies isn’t something you can cure. Once someone with rabies infection starts having these symptoms, it’s usually fatal. this is why it is very important to talk to your doctor or health care provider right away if any animal bites you, especially a wild animal.

Can animals transmit rabies to me?Yes, many kinds of animal can pass rabies to people. Wild animals are much more likely to carry rabies, especially raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, and coyotes. However, any warm-blooded animal can pass rabies to people, including dogs and cats.

People usually get rabies from the bite of an infected animal. Many animals, such as dogs, cats, and horses are vaccinated against rabies, but you should always wash any bite thoroughly and check with your doctor about what to do if any animal bites you.

And remember, if you allow your dog or cat to roam freely outside while unattended, you don’t know what potentially infected wild animals it’s had contact with. If your pet is bitten without your knowledge, you could both be in trouble.

How can I protect myself from getting rabies?Be a responsible pet owner:

• Keep vaccinations up-to-date for all dogs, cats, and ferrets. Vaccinating once will not protect your pet for life. Regular vaccinations are important not only to keep your pets from getting rabies, but also to provide a barrier of protection for you if your pet is bitten by an infected animal.
• Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately.
• Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood. do not try to nurse sick animals back to health in your home. They may be unvaccinated and could be infected by the disease.
• Enjoy wild animals (raccoons, skunks, foxes, etc.) from afar. do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter, and teach children not to handle them, even if they appear friendly. 

Where can I get more information about rabies? Learn more about rabies at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) rabies website at cdc.gov/rabies or the CDC rabies kids page at cdc.gov/rabiesandkids which includes questions and answers, prevention and control information, and more.

Rabies Prevention, Symptoms and Diagnosis

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort.

As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation (increase in saliva), difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms. Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal.

Prevention
You can reduce the chances that your family is exposed to rabies. Vaccinate your pets dogs, cats, and ferrets can be infected by rabies. Report any stray animals to your local health authorities or animal-control officer. Remind kids that animals can be “strangers,” too. they should never touch or feed stray cats or dogs wandering in the neighborhood or elsewhere.

Symptoms and Signs
The first symptoms of rabies may be very similar to those of the flu including general weakness or discomfort, fever, or headache. these symptoms may last for days.

As the infection progresses, someone infected with rabies may develop any of these symptoms:

• irritability
• excessive movements or agitation
• confusion
• hallucinations
• aggressiveness
• bizarre or abnormal thoughts
• muscle spasms
• abnormal postures
• seizures (convulsions)
• weakness or paralysis (when a person cannot move some part of the body)
• extreme sensitivity to bright lights, sounds, or touch
• increased production of saliva or tears
• difficulty speaking

In the advanced stage of the infection, as it spreads to other parts of the nervous system, these symptoms may develop:

• double vision
• problems moving facial muscles
• abnormal movements of the diaphragm and muscles that control breathing
• difficulty swallowing and increased production of saliva, causing the “foaming at the mouth” usually associated with a rabies infection

Rabies Diagnosis
Though the behavioral symptoms of rabies are classic, a diagnosis based solely on the symptoms can be difficult because they are similar to other diseases, conditions, and complications. The inability to swallow, for example, could be caused by an object lodged in the throat. many factors can trigger aggressive, strange behavior and many animals are easily provoked when injured.

The only way to be 100% sure that an animal is rabid is to perform a direct fluorescent antibody test (dFA) on the brain tissue, which requires that the animal be euthanized. This is the most rapid and reliable test for rabies and it has been used for more than 40 years.

The dFA test is based on the principle that infected animals have rabies virus antigen (a protein) in brain tissue that reacts to antirabies antibodies (proteins produced by the immune system to fight disease and infection). The test involves inserting fluorescently labeled antirabies antibody molecules into the brain tissue, which bind to the rabies virus antigens and give off a bright glow when viewed through a special fluorescent microscope. A dFA test can also detect the presence of rabies antigens in the skin.

Tests that do not require euthanasia can be used to examine serum, spinal fluid, and saliva, but none of them can rule out rabies with 100% certainty. these tests are used only in humans and animals that cannot be euthanized.