Rabies

What is Rabies?
Rabies is a lyssavirus which is extremely severe. It comes from animals. If you don't get treatment after getting symptoms caused by rabies, you have less than 1% chance of surviving. More than 59000 people die per year of rabies, according to the CDC. Only 8 to 10 people are known to have survived rabies without a vaccine, such as the 15-year-old Jeanna Giese. However, the numbers of rabies in developed countries are extremely low. 1-3 people are admitted to the hospital with rabies a year in the United States. Lots of deaths still remain in developing and third-world countries. This is because rabies comes from bats and bats are rarely found in developing countries.

How do you contract Rabies?
Rabies is transmitted when an infected animal's saliva gets into an open wound of a human. The most common way of transmission is after a household pet gets the virus from another infected animal from outside and bites or scratch its victim because animals can get really aggressive with the rabies virus. There is also another method, which when an infected animals saliva touches an open wound or into the person's eyes, nose or mouth, which can be by licking as well.

Symptoms:
Stage 1.  Headache, Heat, Coughing and Runny Nose, Diarrhoea, Tiredness, Loss of Appetite
Stage 2. Aggression, Cramping, Fear, Light sensitivity, Hallucinations
Stage 3. Paralysis, Lock-jaw, Scared of water

Diagnosis needed:
- Direct Fluorescent Antibody test - check for the virus on the brain tissue
- If you show similar symptoms and you've been bitten or scratched by an animal, go to a doctor for a check

What if you don't treat it?
You DIE unless you are EXTREMELY LUCKY.

Treatment:
A rabies vaccine. The rabies vaccine is usually for people who contracted the virus. The only people who get it before being infected are people with health conditions or weaker immune systems.

Prevention:
-Vaccinate your pet
-Stay away from wild animals (especially bats)
-Keep your pets away from wild animals
-Call the vet if you see your pet acting weird or have symptoms of rabies