Can rabies really kill people?

This is the 3450th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Nowadays, many people keep pets, and most of them choose cats, dogs, rabbits, mice, etc. However, although small animals are cute, they cannot avoid scratches and bites. The most worrying thing is whether they will get rabies and how to deal with it. Please save the following tips.

What is rabies?

Rabies is an animal-borne infectious disease caused by rabies virus infection. It mainly invades the human body through damaged skin or mucous membranes. Most clinical manifestations are specific fear of wind, fear of water, pharyngeal muscle spasm, progressive paralysis, etc. The incubation period of rabies virus is mostly 1-3 months, and it is rare for it to be less than 1 week or more than 1 year. Once rabies occurs, it progresses very quickly, and the mortality rate is almost 100%.

Animals susceptible to rabies mainly include canines, cats, and bats. Globally, 99% of human rabies is caused by dogs, especially in rabies-endemic areas such as Asia and Africa, where sick dogs are the main cause of human rabies. Birds, fish, insects, lizards, turtles, and snakes will not be infected or spread rabies.

Rabies vaccine is the most basic and effective method to control rabies.

So where can we go to fight?

What are the treatment measures for different wound exposures?

What are the adverse reactions after receiving rabies vaccine?

Within 24 hours after rabies vaccination, redness, swelling, pain, and itching may occur at the injection site, which generally resolves on its own without treatment; there may be mild fever, weakness, headache, dizziness, joint pain, muscle pain, vomiting, abdominal pain, etc., which generally resolve on their own without treatment. In rare cases, if a moderate or higher fever occurs, physical cooling methods can be used first, and antipyretic analgesics can be used when necessary; urticaria may also occur within 72 hours after vaccination. If a reaction occurs, you should go to the hospital in time for treatment and antihistamines.

Finally, we also urge everyone to treat pets well, vaccinate them regularly, and not abandon them. For those who don't have pets but like cats and dogs, please don't pet stray cats and dogs on the street. If you are scratched or bitten, go to a designated hospital immediately to treat the wound and get vaccinated.

Author: Emergency Department, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital (Lingang Campus)

Xia Min