Rabies is a viral disease in the central nervous system. Rabies can transmit from mammal to human via saliva. The disease is common in most parts of the world, but in Europe, no one has been infected with rabies for very long. Rabies is a deadly disease if you do not receive early treatment.
You can protect yourself against rabies by vaccination.
Rabies is most commonly found in Africa, Asia and North, Central and South America. The risk of infection is greater in countries with poor control of rabies vaccination of pets, and in countries with freely wandering dogs. Avoid contact with animals you do not know in countries where rabies is present.
Here are some examples of mammals that can infect:
- monkeys
- dogs
- cats
- foxes
- bats.
When should I seek care?
Seek immediate care if you get a bite, get licked on a wound or face of an animal in a country where rabies is present.
Symptoms of rabies
You who have been infected by rabies can feel numbness and pain around the bite area. It may be the first symptom of rabies. You may feel anxiety, hallucinations, headaches, confusion, and cramps after a few days. The disease is always fatal if it goes so far that you have symptoms.
This is how rabies infects
Rabies is a viral disease of the central nervous system that can be infected by contact with the saliva of an infected mammal with symptoms of rabies, usually dogs.
Treatment for rabies
You who get a bite, get licked on a wound or in the face of an animal should always wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. If it happens in a country where there is rabies, you must receive treatment at the latest within two days to prevent the disease from spreading. This is true even if you are bitten by a bat in European countries because bats can be trouble-free even though they can be contagious. Blood samples from individual bats indicate contact with the infection. Even you who are vaccinated against rabies need treatment.