Do you know that about 1500 Nigerians die of rabies annually?
Due to its deadly nature, a day(every September 28th)has been set aside to create more awareness about it as it is 100% vaccine preventable. Remember, knowledge is power.
What is Rabies?
Rabies is a zoonotic disease, i.e, transmitted from animals to humans and is incurable once clinical symptoms such as barking sets in and eventually leads to death.
Cause
It is a viral disease caused by Lyssa Virus. Its reservoirs include dogs, wolves, foxes,bats, coyotes etc.
Transmission
This disease spreads from the saliva of an infected animal, and so transmission occurs through bites or direct wound contact with the saliva of an infected animal.
The incubation period varies between 1week and 1year depending on the route of entry, how close it is to the brain and amount of virus in the system.
Stages of Rabies
There are three stages of rabies;
1. Prodromal Stage : this first stage is characterized by behavioural changes with symptoms such as fever, sore throat,headache which may progress to anxiety, irritability, hyperventilation and so on.
2. Furious stage: in this stage, increased excitation is seen, hydrophobia(fear of water caused by the inability to swallow due to the paralysis of oesophageal muscles) , difficulty in breathing, dehydration and death may occur.
3. Dumb Stage: in this stage, there is general paralysis, lack of energy, blood vessels collapses and eventually death occurs.
Prevention
This deadly disease can be prevented by ensuring that all dogs within a community is vaccinated against rabies by taking a shot of Rabies vaccine at 3 month old and a yearly booster dose.
“Vaccinating dogs can save 59,000 human lives each year”
Dear pet owner, vaccinate your pet against rabies today!
Treatment of dog bites
– Wash the site of bite with soap under running water.
– Apply a torniquet to the site to prevent the rapid spread of the virus(if from an infected animal)
– Immediately seek medical attention for post exposure rabies shot and other necessary treatments.
Remember, as a pet owner, it is your responsibility to protect the health of your pet as well as those in your community as we fight against rabies.#OnehealthZeroDeaths.
Book an appointment with Us today to get your pet vaccinated.
