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What is it about ?
Rabies is a viral infection that affects the central nervous system of mammals. It is usually transmitted after a bite
or from the saliva of infected dogs, cats, bats or foxes. There is no risk of infection when the animal licks intact skin, if there is contact only with the coat or after contact with feces or blood. Human-to-human contamination is rare. Rabies is a fatal disease, but it can still be prevented with a series of vaccinations and treatment with antibodies immediately after exposure.
What is its frequency?
Rabies is a disease that is widespread throughout the world. The high risk regions are Asia, Africa as well as South and Central America. In these regions, it is mainly dogs that are responsible for the contamination. Rabies is estimated to cause 50,000 to 100,000 deaths worldwide each year. In our regions, it is mainly bats and infected foxes that can transmit it. However, since 2001, rabies has in principle been completely eradicated in Belgium. But caution remains in order given the frequency of the disease still observed in neighboring countries, especially in Eastern Europe.
How to recognize it?
Infected animals are often either aggressive or drowsy. They die after 10 days. In the event of contamination (on average after 20 to 90 days), one has chills, fever, a feeling of malaise, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and headaches. The bite site may be painful or itchy. But it also happens that symptoms appear already after 10 days or only after several years. After the first signs, as the central nervous system is affected, symptoms such as a stiff neck or seizures may occur. Then the person falls into a coma and dies. This fatal outcome can only be avoided by reacting immediately after possible contamination.
How is the diagnosis made?
Rabies can only be established or ruled out when complaints are present. The virus is found in particular in saliva, brain tissue, the cornea of the eye, and fluid in the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid). Antibodies are detected in the blood.
What can you do ?
You can get vaccinated preventively. Vaccination does not completely protect you, but it does allow you to shorten the vaccination plan if you become infected. Preventive vaccination is recommended for certain groups at risk: veterinarians, speleologists, cyclists and joggers active in areas at risk or people (especially children) staying for a long time in a developing, rural and isolated region, where there is no not possible to get vaccinated within 24 to 48 hours.
Do not pet wild animals, even tame ones (eg monkeys), or abandoned animals or pets when traveling. Do not touch dead animals. If you are bitten by a potentially infected animal, immediately wash the wound with soap and water for 15 minutes, then disinfect it thoroughly. See a doctor as soon as possible for further care. There is no cure for rabies. This is why you must be careful when traveling and, in the event of possible contamination, consult a doctor or go to the hospital within 24 hours or at the latest within 48 hours.
What can your doctor do?
The doctor will first wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water. Then he will disinfect it with povidone iodine or alcohol. If you have not been vaccinated, you will receive 4 or 5 inoculations and possibly rabies antibodies (rabies antibodies) (once) as soon as possible after exposure to an infected animal. If you have already been vaccinated previously (full series or booster vaccine), you will still be revaccinated after exposure, but less strongly, due to pre-existing immunity.
There is no anti-rabies treatment. Once you develop the symptoms, the disease is still fatal. Rabies is a notifiable disease. This means that the doctor must report it to the public authorities. An attempt is then made to locate and catch the animal suspected of having rabies so that it can be examined by the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for rabies.
Want to know more?
- Rabies – IMT – Institute of Tropical Medicine
- Rabies – Vaccination-Info.be
- Bites and scratches: treat them well – mongeneraliste.be – SSMG – Scientific Society of General Medicine
- Povidone iodine – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information
Sources
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