635
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
New page
Rabies is known as "la rage" in French, "tollwut" in German, "rabia" in Spanish, "rabbia" in Italian, “狂犬病” in Chinese, "kichaa cha mwba" in Swahili.
==Horrible==
Rabies is a distinctly horrifying [[Disease|disease]]. Rabies kills more than
50,000 people a year in [[Africa]] and [[Asia]]. Children are at greatest
risk from rabies as they are more likely to be bitten by [[Dog| dogs]], and
are also more likely to be bitten in high-risk sites on the body,
such as the head and neck.
The psychological impact of rabies can be enormous as the bite of
a rabid dog can lead to months of [[anxiety]] while victims are
unsure as to whether rabies may develop. This is particularly true
for poor people living in remote and rural areas of Africa and Asia
where availability of appropriate post-exposure [[Vaccine| vaccines]] and
[[immunoglobulin]] is limited. The bite of rabid animals often causes
horrific injuries even if rabies itself can be prevented by effective
post-exposure [[prophylaxis]].<ref>http://www.rabiescontrol.org</ref>
==Facts about rabies==
#Rabies is caused by a virus (from the genus ''Lyssavirus'') which attacks the [[Central Nervous System| nervous system]].
#Almost all human cases (about 95%) are due to bites from domestic dogs, but all mammals can suffer from rabies and all can potentially transmit the virus to humans.
#Following a dog bite, a victim can suffer months of anxiety, fearing that rabies may develop. Once the symptoms develop, rabies is invariably fatal.
#More than 55,000 people die of rabies every year in Africa and Asia.
#60-70% of victims of rabies are children aged 5-15; probably 100 children die of the disease every day.
#Every rabies death is preventable with currently available vaccines.
#The first rabies vaccination was developed by Louis Pasteur and given to a boy badly bitten by a rabid dog on July 6, 1885. The boy survived.
#Rabies can be effectively controlled in animal populations by vaccination. If 70% of the animal population is vaccinated, human cases are eliminated.
#Wildlife populations can be threatened by rabies to the point of extinction. The rare Ethiopian [[wolf]] and the African wild dog are just 2 examples.
#In Mexico, just 5 years of a dog vaccination campaign reduced human rabies deaths from 60 per year to less than 20. Subsequently, cases have been almost eliminated.
==Prevention==
With the tools and [[Technology| technologies]] to control
rabies – principally canine rabies [[vaccination]]
and human pre- and post-exposure
[[Vaccine| vaccination]], there are no excuses for
tolerating 100 childhood deaths a day – all
these deaths are preventable.
Rabies is a concern for animal welfare – fear
of the disease results in hostile and
antagonistic attitudes towards dogs and
often inhumane approaches to dealing with
rabid dogs within the community.
By promoting dog rabies vaccination, animal health professionals can eliminate the need for unnecessarily brutal forms of dog management.Most dogs are accessible for rabies vaccination campaigns.
Rabies poses a major and immediate threat
to several of the world's most endangered
wildlife populations. In the case of the
Ethiopian wolf (''Canis simensis''), the entire
world population comprises only 500
individuals, and key populations have been
decimated by successive outbreaks of
rabies.
In parts of East Africa, the endangered [[African wild dog]] (''Lycaon pictus'') has become locally extinct as a result of rabies and is onlylikely to recover if dog rabies can be controlled.<ref>http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/links/links.htm</ref>
===Steps===
*To prevent human rabies deaths through preventative and reactive
measures:
Focusing on mass vaccination of domestic dogs
Prompt and appropriate administration of human post-exposure prophylaxis – PEP
*To alleviate the burden of rabies in animal species, primarily through
mass dog vaccination:
Preventing rabies outbreaks in wild animal populations, particularly endangered species
Preventing animal suffering and improving community attitudes towards animals
Reducing livestock losses
*To promote education of major target groups, focusing on:
The general public in rabies endemic areas, principally children between 5-15 years of age
Human and animal health workers and field personnel
Wildlife agencies and wildlife management personnel
*To undertake and promote surveillance of rabies in human and
animal populations:
To provide more accurate estimates of rabies disease burden and raise awareness
To optimize the use of post-exposure vaccines and immunoglobulin in people
To evaluate the impact of disease control measures
==Sources==
<references/>
==Horrible==
Rabies is a distinctly horrifying [[Disease|disease]]. Rabies kills more than
50,000 people a year in [[Africa]] and [[Asia]]. Children are at greatest
risk from rabies as they are more likely to be bitten by [[Dog| dogs]], and
are also more likely to be bitten in high-risk sites on the body,
such as the head and neck.
The psychological impact of rabies can be enormous as the bite of
a rabid dog can lead to months of [[anxiety]] while victims are
unsure as to whether rabies may develop. This is particularly true
for poor people living in remote and rural areas of Africa and Asia
where availability of appropriate post-exposure [[Vaccine| vaccines]] and
[[immunoglobulin]] is limited. The bite of rabid animals often causes
horrific injuries even if rabies itself can be prevented by effective
post-exposure [[prophylaxis]].<ref>http://www.rabiescontrol.org</ref>
==Facts about rabies==
#Rabies is caused by a virus (from the genus ''Lyssavirus'') which attacks the [[Central Nervous System| nervous system]].
#Almost all human cases (about 95%) are due to bites from domestic dogs, but all mammals can suffer from rabies and all can potentially transmit the virus to humans.
#Following a dog bite, a victim can suffer months of anxiety, fearing that rabies may develop. Once the symptoms develop, rabies is invariably fatal.
#More than 55,000 people die of rabies every year in Africa and Asia.
#60-70% of victims of rabies are children aged 5-15; probably 100 children die of the disease every day.
#Every rabies death is preventable with currently available vaccines.
#The first rabies vaccination was developed by Louis Pasteur and given to a boy badly bitten by a rabid dog on July 6, 1885. The boy survived.
#Rabies can be effectively controlled in animal populations by vaccination. If 70% of the animal population is vaccinated, human cases are eliminated.
#Wildlife populations can be threatened by rabies to the point of extinction. The rare Ethiopian [[wolf]] and the African wild dog are just 2 examples.
#In Mexico, just 5 years of a dog vaccination campaign reduced human rabies deaths from 60 per year to less than 20. Subsequently, cases have been almost eliminated.
==Prevention==
With the tools and [[Technology| technologies]] to control
rabies – principally canine rabies [[vaccination]]
and human pre- and post-exposure
[[Vaccine| vaccination]], there are no excuses for
tolerating 100 childhood deaths a day – all
these deaths are preventable.
Rabies is a concern for animal welfare – fear
of the disease results in hostile and
antagonistic attitudes towards dogs and
often inhumane approaches to dealing with
rabid dogs within the community.
By promoting dog rabies vaccination, animal health professionals can eliminate the need for unnecessarily brutal forms of dog management.Most dogs are accessible for rabies vaccination campaigns.
Rabies poses a major and immediate threat
to several of the world's most endangered
wildlife populations. In the case of the
Ethiopian wolf (''Canis simensis''), the entire
world population comprises only 500
individuals, and key populations have been
decimated by successive outbreaks of
rabies.
In parts of East Africa, the endangered [[African wild dog]] (''Lycaon pictus'') has become locally extinct as a result of rabies and is onlylikely to recover if dog rabies can be controlled.<ref>http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/links/links.htm</ref>
===Steps===
*To prevent human rabies deaths through preventative and reactive
measures:
Focusing on mass vaccination of domestic dogs
Prompt and appropriate administration of human post-exposure prophylaxis – PEP
*To alleviate the burden of rabies in animal species, primarily through
mass dog vaccination:
Preventing rabies outbreaks in wild animal populations, particularly endangered species
Preventing animal suffering and improving community attitudes towards animals
Reducing livestock losses
*To promote education of major target groups, focusing on:
The general public in rabies endemic areas, principally children between 5-15 years of age
Human and animal health workers and field personnel
Wildlife agencies and wildlife management personnel
*To undertake and promote surveillance of rabies in human and
animal populations:
To provide more accurate estimates of rabies disease burden and raise awareness
To optimize the use of post-exposure vaccines and immunoglobulin in people
To evaluate the impact of disease control measures
==Sources==
<references/>