DEFINITION
An acute viral infection affecting the nervous system of animals. it can be transmitted to humans by a bite or the exposure of broken skin to the animal’s saliva
CAUSES, INCIDENCE, AND RISK FACTORS
Rabies is transmitted by infected saliva that enters the body by a bite or open wound. the virus travels from the wound along nerve pathways to the brain where it causes inflammation that result in the symptoms of the disease. the incubation period ranges from 10 days to 7 years, with the average period 3 to 7 weeks. in the past human cases usually resulted from a dog bite but most recently cases of human rabies have been linked to rabies virus carried by bats. Bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes, and other animals are other sources of rabies victims. the threat of rabies causes extreme fear on the part of people who think they may have been exposed and health care workers who must contend with possible exposures. in new Hampshire, October of 1994, an unknown number of individuals were exposed to a rabid kitten. because exposure could not be well documented 665 individuals received rabies post-exposure prophylaxis at a cost of $1.5 million. This was an extreme reaction by the public to possible exposure. the Centers for Disease Control is presently making recommendations to help prevent unnecessary treatment in questionably exposed individuals.
PREVENTION
Prevention depends upon enforcement of the following public health policies:
- vaccination of dogs every 2 years where rabies exists in wild animals
- vaccination of people in high-risk occupations
- quarantine regulations on importing dogs and other mammals in disease-free countries
SYMPTOMS
- bite by animal, bug, self or others
- dog bite, bat bite, or bite by a skunk, raccoon, or fox (most common animals to transmit)
- low-grade fever (102 F or lower)
- pain at the site of the bite
- swallowing difficulty (thinking produces spasms of the larynx) or swallowing difficulty with liquids only
- restlessness
- excitability
- muscle spasms
- convulsions
- numbness and tingling
- loss of muscle function
- loss of feeling in an area of the body
- drooling
- anxiety, stress, and tension
- positive Babinski’s reflex
SIGNS AND TESTS
If a person has a history of animal bite, the animal will be observed for signs of rabies. Immuno-fluorescence (fluorescent antibody test) performed on the suspect animal may show that the animal has rabies.
PreventionBecause rabies is almost always fatal, prevention is the only reasonable approach, and all exposures must be evaluated individually. Immunization of household dogs and cats and active immunization of persons with significant animal exposure (e.g., veterinarians) are important. the most important common decisions, however, concern animal bites.In the developing world, education, surveillance, and animal (particularly dog) vaccination programs are preferred over mass destruction of dogs, which is followed typically by invasion of susceptible feral animals into urban areas.Local Treatment of Animal Bites and ScratchesThorough cleansing, debridement, and repeated flushing of wounds with soap and water are important. Rabies immune globulin or antiserum should be given as stated below. Wounds caused by animal bites should not be sutured.Post-exposure ImmunizationTherapy is indicated when the disease is seriously under consideration. the decision to treat should be based on the circumstances of the bite, including the extent and location of the wound, the biting animal, the history of prior vaccination, and the local endemicity of rabies. Any contact or suspect contact with a bat is usually deemed a sufficient indication to warrant prophylaxis. Consultation with state and local health departments is recommended. Post-exposure treatment including both immune globulin and vaccination, should be administered as promptly as possible when indicated.The optimal form of passive immunization is rabies immune globulin (20 IU/kg). As much as possible of the full dose should be infiltrated around the wound, with any remaining injected intramuscularly at a site distant from the wound. if immune globulin (human) is not available, equine rabies antiserum (20–40 IU/kg) can be used if available (it was last produced in 2001) after appropriate tests for horse serum sensitivity. An inactivated human diploid cell rabies vaccine (HDCV) is given as five injections of 1 mL intramuscularly (in the deltoid rather than the gluteal muscle) on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28 after exposure.Several cell culture vaccines are available and are preferable to embryonated tissue vaccine (e.g., duck embryo vaccine; DEV) because of better antigenic response and fewer systemic reactions. HDCV availability and cost limit its use in the developing world.Rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine (HDCV) should never be given in the same syringe or at the same site. Allergic reactions to the vaccine are rare, though local reactions (pruritus, erythema, tenderness) occur in about 25% and mild systemic reactions (headaches, myalgias, nausea) in about 20% of recipients. the vaccine is commercially available or can be obtained through health departments. for patients who previously received preexposure or postexposure vaccine, rabies immune globulin should not be given; vaccine, 1 mL in the deltoid, should be given twice (on days 0 and 3).In other countries, the less costly inactivated DEV or mouse brain vaccine may be available, but the method of administration is more complex, the rate of allergic reactions—including ascending paralysis—is higher, and the efficacy is lower.Exposure to rabies still requires postexposure vaccination, even if preexposure vaccination was received, but the need for immune globulin is eliminated (rabies immune globulin is in short supply worldwide).Neither the passive nor the active form or postexposure prophylaxis is associated with fetal abnormalities and thus pregnancy is not considered a contraindication to vaccination.Preexposure ImmunizationPreexposure prophylaxis with three injections of HDCV intramuscularly (1 mL on days 0, 7, and 21 or 28) or intradermally (0.1 mL on days 0, 7, and 28, over the deltoid) is recommended for persons at high risk of exposure: veterinarians (who should have rabies antibody titers checked every 2 years and be boosted with 1 mL intramuscularly or 0.1 mL intradermally if seronegative); animal handlers; laboratory workers; Peace Corps workers; and travelers to remote areas in endemic countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. An intradermal route is available for preexposure prophylaxis only. Immunosuppressive illnesses and agents including corticosteroids as well as antimalarials—in particular chloroquine—may diminish the antibody response.TreatmentThis very severe illness with an almost universally fatal outcome requires intensive care with attention to the airway, maintenance of oxygenation, and control of seizures. Universal precautions are essential. other modalities of therapy that may be beneficial include a combination of rabies vaccine, rabies immune globulin, monoclonal antibodies (investigational), ribavirin, interferon-, amantadine, and ketamine. Corticosteroids are of no use.EXPECTATIONS (PROGNOSIS)
If immunization is given within 2 days of the bite, rabies is usually prevented. once the symptoms appear, few people survive the disease. Death from respiratory failure usually occurs within 7 days. COMPLICATIONS
- allergic reaction to rabies vaccine (rare)
- death from respiratory failure 
Courtesy:Compiled and Shared By: Habib Anwar 

Rabies in cats – the signs and symptoms; scratches, bites and vaccination and what to do if you think your cat has rabies.What is rabies?Rabies is a disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals that (most importantly for us here) includes humans and cats.

The virus causes inflammation in the brain, paralysis and death, and is generally transmitted through the bites of infected animals.

It is found in land animals in most countries of the world. in North America the disease is most often spread by coyotes, raccoons and skunks; in Europe it’s generally spread by foxes.

It is not present in land animals in the United Kingdom and some parts of Scandinavia, nor in Australia, new Zealand or Japan. very occasional cases have come about in these countries through infection by bats.

In humans the disease is generally fatal if not treated before the onset of any symptoms, so if contact with a rabid animal is suspected it’s essential to get treatment immediately.

Early signs of the disease include weakness, fever and headache, which can later develop into sleeplessness, stress, difficulty swallowing, paralysis, and most tellingly, an increase in saliva production (which is what causes dogs with the disease to drool uncontrollably, although this does not generally happen in humans or cats) and a morbid fear of water.

In un-vaccinated animals, there is no cure.How does rabies infect cats?The virus lives in the saliva of infected animals, and although the virus isn’t able to get through unbroken skin, it can enter the body through open wounds or scratches, as well as through the mucous membranes, like those in the eyes or mouth.

So licks, and more particularly, bites from infected animals can spread rabies in cats.Transmission of rabies: how does it spread?The virus gets in to the nervous system through a nerve ending in the skin. It then travels up the nerve to the spinal cord, travelling up the spinal cord until it enters the brain.

From the brain, the rabies virus travels through the nerves leading to the salivary glands and into the saliva, from where it can be spread through a bite to another infected animal.

Until the virus reaches the brain a cat will show no symptoms of the disease. Does my cat have rabies? Cat rabies symptomsThe period of incubation for rabies in cats can be anywhere from ten days to around fifty days (on average, around eighteen days) before the cat shows any signs of infection.

Spotting rabies in cats you suspect may be infected can be difficult in the very early stages, and unfortunately once the more obvious symptoms appear it may already be too late to do anything about it.

The first thing you’ll notice in a cat with rabies is a change in behavior. Some cats become more aggressive, others become more friendly than usual. There’s a tendency at this stage for cats to hide away in dark corners.

This period is generally quite short, lasting only one or sometimes two days. After this, cats will become very aggressive and bite and scratch without warning. Their throat muscles will become paralysed, and they will have difficulty eating and drinking.

This stage (which lasts on average two to four days) is then followed by a day or two when cats will have convulsions and paralysis, followed by coma and eventually death.What to do if you suspect you (or your cats) have been bitten by an animal with rabies

Swab the bite area immediately with disinfectant and rinse with lots of water.

It is then URGENT that you seek medical help for yourself, and veterinary attention for your pet.

A vaccination program is available for humans bitten by rabid animals during the early stages of the disease. unfortunately for our poor cats, however, once the symptoms of rabies in cats become apparent, the disease is always fatal.

A cat with suspected rabies will be quarantined for observation.Cat rabies shotsIn the UK, cats are not vaccinated against rabies unless they are being taken out of the country.

In the USA, rabies vaccinations are mandatory in most States and are generally given to kittens between eight and twelve weeks old, with a follow-up booster a year later and on-going regular vaccination every two or three years after that, depending on local legislation.For more cat health information see:

• Diarrhea in kittens
• Cat hairballs

***************Return to Cat Illnesses from Rabies in CatsReturn to Life with Siamese Cats Home Pagefrom Rabies in Cats



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(continued)
for following diseases:
rabies
cholera
tuberculosis
syphilis

hi komal !!
you asked something which is so long to answer in detail
so herewith i just briefe you regarding those ones
1. rabies –
it is an acute infectious disease of warm- blooded mammals, esp. carnivores. wildlife, esp. bats, skunks, foxes and raccoons, have been found to have rabies; dogs, cats, and cattle are the domestic animals particularly susceptible.

symptoms – pain, restless behaviour, and convulsions may be produced by sensory stimuli. excess thick saliva is produced.

cause – a neurotic filtrable virus present in saliva of rabid animals.

prevention – thoroughly clean all bites or scratches made by any animal with strong ( 20%) medicinal soap solution. deep puncture wounds should be opened to permit access of solutions.

treatment – if the attack by the animal was unprovoked, the animal not caught, and rabies is present in that species in the geographic area, give rabies immune globulin and vaccine immediately. if the wound is not punctured and just scratches made by an animal there are few of homeopathic medicines which can work as an anti rabies medicines and prevent you from taking any injections.

homeopathic treatment – first of all take calendula soap and ointment and clear of that place with soap thoroughly and apply ointment over it and leave it open only, then after administer it internally along with the hypericum and ledum pal 10-10-10 all together in 30 potency for atleast 4 days and observe that animal's behaviour if you dont find any changes in them, then just get relaxed about rabies infections.

i think this much will be enough for you to get the details about rabies
now more on cholera, tb and syphillis
i will defenately inform you
but today i am getting late for home
so will guide you tomorrow the rest
bye for now
tc
dr premal shah
+91 98245 63371

homeotouch.com in this website you can get all the informations
regarding all the common diseases and more i am uploading on it regularly so just check it out
bye

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