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Rabies
What is it?
Rabies is a fatal viral disease of warm-blooded animals, including humans. It is usually spread by the bite of an infected animal such as a dog, cat, bat or fox.
Where is it found?
Rabies is present in many countries in the world, except Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan and a number of small islands. Many of these are island nations with strict controls on the entry of animals; both factors have helped prevent entry of the disease.
What are its effects?
The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system, then spreads to the salivary glands and other organs of the body.
There are two types of rabies:
- ‘furious’rabies causes the animal to foam and drool at the mouth. Animals behave unpredictably and may become vicious, snap at imaginary objects and attack without warning. The animal becomes progressively unco-ordinated, paralysed and usually dies in four to five days
- ‘dumb’ rabies causes early paralysis, followed by drooling and death. Animals with dumb rabies remain quiet and only bite when provoked. They are unable to eat, but will frequently try to drink water
Humans are most commonly exposed to rabies if the saliva from a rabid animal enters the body through a bite or an open wound. Other rare means of infection are through entering a cave polluted by infected bats or through receiving organ transplants from a person carrying the rabies virus.
Early symptoms include headaches, fever and lethargy. Neurological signs and symptoms include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, paralysis, hallucinations, agitation, excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.
Rabies signs and symptoms typically appear about 30-50 days after exposure but can occur between 10 days to a year or longer depending on the severity and location of the bite, the amount of virus present and the strain of the virus.
The only hope for those bitten by a rabid animal is a course of vaccination before symptoms appear. Treatment requires prompt cleaning and disinfection of the bite site and a course of six injections over a month; one injection contains antibodies to fight the virus, the others are vaccinations to ensure long-term protection against the disease.
Between 40,000 and 70,000 people die of rabies worldwide each year, with a further 10 million receiving treatment after being exposed to animals suspected of having rabies. Detecting, preventing and controlling the disease in the United States costs more than $US300 million a year.
What’s the risk to Australia?
Rabies could profoundly change our way of life and the disease would be very difficult to eradicate if it became established in dogs and cats or native wildlife. We could never feel safe when approaching a stray cat or dog. All imported animals are subject to strict quarantine requirements, including vaccination for dogs and cats from all affected countries.