The Disease of Death - Rabies

A dog owner from my colony approached me yesterday. Her dog was behaving strangely, she said. He was not eating or drinking, was digging furiously and howling. He was also trying to attack any strangers who came to visit , though he was not aggressive around the family members.I went to her place and sure enough, the dog was also salivating. It was a classic case of rabies.

Rabies is a vet's worst nightmare. There is no cure. To stop the spread of the disease, the animal has to be put down. If not, the animal dies in 15 days time but by then, they may have spread the disease through bites or their saliva. Rabies is caused by the Rabies virus. The virus is present in the saliva of the infected animal. Once the animal bites someone, the virus starts spreading in the nerves after 24 hours and travels towards the brain. It also causes the paralysis of the nerve which controls the swallowing action, hence the inability to eat or drink. That is why the disease is also called 'Hydrophobia', the fear of water. There are two forms of Rabies - the furious form and the dumb form. I have lately come across the dumb form more in the street animals. They don't show the aggressiveness but they are still unable to eat or drink . They also hide in dark corners, away from human being.

Now for the good news. Rabies is preventable. A cheap Anti Rabies Vaccine (ARV) is available for animals. It is to be given once a year and the animal is protected. If bitten, to be safe, the vet will recommend a post bite 5-dose ARV for your animal and you. 

Rabies is zoonotic, it is transmitted from animals to humans. So always make sure your animals are vaccinated.