An 8-year-old primary school student was bitten to death by a dog on the way to school... This tragic tragedy must serve as a warning!

Recently, an 8-year-old primary school student in Chongqing was killed by a dog on his way to school. What is even more distressing is that there are many cases of children being bitten and killed by dogs every year. Starting from May 1 this year, the "Animal Epidemic Prevention Law of the People's Republic of China" will be officially implemented, and walking a dog without a leash will be considered an illegal act. I hope this regulation will prevent similar tragedies from happening again!

Here, Yaowa would like to remind you that the peak exposure period for rabies is from June to July every year and lasts until October. Counting on my fingers, June is only a month away. Everyone should be alert and review the things about rabies.

Rabies, also known as "mad dog disease" and "hydrophobia", still exists in the world with a mortality rate of nearly 100% even though medicine is highly developed today. It is a major problem in the current medical community.

Rabies virus is not only found in dogs

Rabies doesn’t just happen when you’re bitten by a dog! Theoretically, any mammal can be infected with rabies. Here are some common animals that may have rabies virus:

Dogs - 99% of rabies virus infections are caused by them;

Cats - second only to dogs in existence;

Wild carnivores – weasels, badgers, foxes, wolves, etc.;

The latest popular animal - bats (why are you everywhere?);

Animals with low risk but possible infection - livestock such as cattle, sheep, horses, pigs and rodents such as rabbits and mice...

People always ask Yaowa, what should I do if I am bitten by chicken, duck, goose, turtle, insect, fish, etc., will I be infected with rabies virus? Here Yaowa tells you that as long as it is an egg-hatched animal or aquatic animal, it will not be infected with rabies virus.

Do you need to get a rabies vaccine if you have "close" contact with a dog?

Oh my! Some friends are getting scared, saying that they were kissed by a dog a few days ago. Do they need to get a shot?

This is the point of the question - whether you are licked or bitten by a dog, you should treat it according to the grade of the wound. The "Rabies Exposure Prevention and Treatment Work Specifications" issued by my country's National Health Commission divides rabies exposure wounds into three grades:

Level Ⅰ (no exposure): Contact or feeding of animals, or licking of intact skin is Level Ⅰ. As long as there are no wounds, it is not dangerous for a dog to lick you.

Level II (mild exposure): Exposed skin is bitten lightly, or there are minor scratches and abrasions without bleeding. Many people think that being scratched by small animals is nothing serious, but Yaowa wants to remind you that in this case, if there is skin damage, you must get a rabies vaccine on top of treating the wound, so don't be careless.

Level III (severe exposure): Single or multiple penetrating skin bites or scratches, or licking of broken skin, or open wounds or mucous membrane contamination are Level III.

At this time, Yaowa wants to tell you that you must go to the hospital to treat your wound and get vaccinated with rabies passive immunization agents and rabies virus vaccine.

Have you all discovered that whether you are exposed is actually directly related to whether you have wounds? If your skin has no wounds or damage, you will not be infected even if you are licked or in contact with animals. However, once you have a wound, you must go to the hospital for vaccination.

The "Nuclear Weapon" Against Rabies Virus——Rabies Vaccine

Post-exposure prophylaxis is the one, only, only effective means of preventing rabies.

Once you have the risk of exposure, do not hesitate to go to the nearest medical unit for rabies vaccination as soon as possible. According to the exposure level of the wound, if it is only level II exposure, only rabies vaccine is needed, and rabies immunoglobulin is not needed; but if it is level III exposure, rabies immunoglobulin is needed.

For those who are particularly unlucky, how can they get vaccinated if they are bitten by animals one after another? In this regard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends:

① For those who have received a full course of vaccination, if they are exposed again within 3 months, booster immunization can be postponed if all conditions are met;

② Those who are exposed again more than 3 months ago need to receive 1 dose of vaccine on day 0 and day 3 respectively;

③ If a vaccine of uncertain efficacy is used, or the person has not been fully vaccinated before, or has been severely exposed to level III, the full vaccination course is required after being exposed again.

If there is an exposure risk but you cannot see a doctor immediately, how should you treat the wound? After being bitten or scratched, it is very important to rinse. Use soapy water (or other weak alkaline cleaning agents) and running water with a certain pressure to wash each bite and scratch wound alternately for at least 15 minutes.

Finally, Yaowa must remind friends again that if you have pet dogs at home, you must remember to use a leash when taking your dog for a walk. Don’t take chances if you are bitten. Once there is an exposure incident that may lead to infection, you must get a rabies vaccine. Don’t lose sight of the big picture for the small.

Author: Mao Changqing, Chief Pharmacist, Jinshan Branch, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital

Review expert: Gao Xia, chief physician of Shanghai Jinshan District Center for Disease Control and Prevention