Rabies

RABIES

  • For most people, hearing the word rabies strikes great fear.
  • With Hollywood portrayals such as "Cujo," and often lethal result of a rabies infection, these fears are somewhat justified.
  • But with understanding and knowledge, fears can be replaced with a healthy respect for the virus.
  • The rabies virus can infect almost any mammal. It is shed in the saliva and transmitted typically by bite wounds.
  • Without treatment, the virus eventually attacks the nervous system and results in death.
  • Throughout the world, 35,000 people die each year from rabies. In the United States, about 3 people succumb each year to rabies.
  • Rabies is most commonly found in skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and bats.
  • Despite their bad rap, rabies in ferrets is quite uncommon. Since 1958, only 22 ferrets have been diagnosed with rabies.
  • Recently cats have become the number one domestic animal diagnosed with rabies.
  • It is suspected this is due to more cats being kept as pets and allowed to roam their neighborhoods.

Diagnosis

  • Diagnosing rabies can be difficult. In the early stages, the virus has not yet attacked the brain and the animal acts normally.
  • There are no body changes and no test that can determine if an animal or person was exposed to the virus.
  • Unfortunately, the only way to diagnose rabies is to examine brain tissue, and this can only be done after the animal is dead.
  • This means that testing your pet for rabies is not a test he can survive.
  • Euthanasia is required.

Treatment

  • Rabies is a fatal virus and there is no treatment for those animals in the final stages of the disease.
  • People exposed to rabies can receive injections to reduce the risk of rabies infection but these injections have not been extensively tested in animals.
  • Due to the serious risk of transmission to humans, animals that have been bitten by another animal with confirmed rabies should be euthanized.
Last modified: Thursday, 7 June 2012, 11:18 AM