Information about rabies. On September 28th it is World Rabies Day. Check worldrabiesday.org to see all the events taking place all over the world to raise awareness about this fatal, yet 100% preventable disease.

1. Rabies
Information you need to know
Marit Merkus
Founder & President
Canine Life Support
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2. The word ‘rabies’
Rabies is derrived from the Latin word rabere,
which means to rage or rave. This Latin word in
turn might find its roots in the Sanskrit word
rabhas: to do violence.
The Greeks referred to rabies as lyssa or lytta
which means frenzy or madness. They called
human rabies hydrophobia: fear of water, which
is one of the symptoms shown by human
victims.
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3. Rabies history
Rabies may be one of the oldest infectious diseases known to man. It has been known since as early
as 2000 BC.
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4. Louis Pasteur (1822 - 1895) was a French
chemist and microbiologist.
In 1880 he started his work on rabies and in
1885 administered the vaccine for the first
time on a human.
In 1886 he concluded: "Rabies prophylaxis
after a bite is justified. There is cause to
create a rabies vaccine establishment". He
immediately launched an international fund.
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5. Did you know?
In the 1957 Walt Disney film ‘Old Yeller’
the dog suffers from rabies.
They suspect one of the cows to be rabid
and when they burn its body after
shooting the cow, a rabid wolf attacks
Katie and Lisbeth and Yeller is bitten.
Yeller eventually develops rabies and
Travis is forced to shoot him.
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6. What is rabies?
Rabies is a viral infection attacking the central
nervous system.
Rabies causes inflammation of the brain. This
causes pressure on various areas of the brain,
resulting in diverse symptoms.
It is usually spread through the bite or scratch of
an infected animal. The saliva of an infected
animal contains high concentrations of the virus.
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7. Who’s at risk?
All mammals can get rabies but only a few
species are important as reservoirs for the
disease.
Rabies is a zoonotic disease. This means that
it can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Rabies is present in more than 150 countries
and territories. Worldwide, every year more
than 55.000 people die of rabies.
40% of human deaths are children under the
age of 15. Dogs are the source of 99% of
human rabies deaths.
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8. Infection
The rabies virus first connects to the
receptors on the muscle cells of the bite
wound before it binds itself to the
nervous tissue.
The time of infection to the time of
symptoms can vary with the number of
bites, the amount of transmitted virus,
age and health of the victim and the
proximity to the central nervous
system.
This means it can take anywhere from a
few days to even a few years before
symptoms show but on average it takes
between 30-90 days.
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9. Symptoms
The first symptoms can be flu-like, such
as general weakness, fever or headache.
These symptoms last a few days.
There can be an itchy sensation at the
bite wound and within days symptoms
turn into anxiety, confusion, agitation. As
the disease spreads, the person may
experience delirium, abnormal behavior,
hallucinations, and insomnia.
Once clinical symptoms of rabies appear,
the disease is nearly always fatal, and
treatment is typically supportive.
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10. The good news
Vaccination Education
RABIES IS 100% PREVENTABLE!
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11. Prevention is the best medicine
• Be careful and act responsibly around stray animals
• Get your pets vaccinated against rabies
• Learn how to recognize an animal with rabies
• Know how to avoid dog bites
• Learn about dog body language
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12. Animal etiquette
• Don’t run, scream or throw anything at an animal
• Don’t look an animal straight in the eye
• Don’t disturb an animal who is sleeping, eating or
caring for pups
• If an animal is injured, ask a local veterinarian or
official for help
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13. How to avoid a dogbite
When a growling dog approaches you, don’t run
away. Instead:
• Stand still.
• Keep your arms down, hands close to your
body.
• Look to the ground, avoid direct eye contact
with the dog.
• If a dog knocks you over, curl up, lie still and
protect your face with your hands.
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14. If you are bitten
• Wash the wound immediately with lots of
water and soap
• Seek medical attention right away
• If you were bitten by a stray dog, report the
description of the dog and the location.
Explain the situation and mention any
abnormalities in the dog’s behavior.
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15. Learning resources
There are some excellent rabies learning resources available on the internet. To name just a few:
Global Alliance for Rabies Control - www.rabiescontrol.net
World Rabies Day - www.worldrabiesday.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - www.cdc.gov/rabies
Rabies: a comprehensive guide - www.rabiesinfection.com
Sharing is Caring! Share your knowledge and raise awareness!
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16. Sources
• Rabies free world
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
• Rabies: a comprehensive guide
• Institut Pasteur
• Wikipedia
• The unity and diversity of life
• Jetwing eco holidays publications
• Stanford university
• Centers for disease control and prevention
• World Society for the Protection of Animals
• Doggone Safe
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17. www.caninelifesupport.com
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