Only Vaccine Can Prevent Rabies
Commemorating World Rabies Day, annually observed on September 28, The National Public Health Centre (NPHC) points out that vaccination is the only efficient measure against the deadly disease. Although the last case of human death from rabies in Lithuania was reported in 2007, when a person got infected from a stray dog bite while traveling in India, every year over a thousand of people seek medical help from injuries caused by wild or domestic animals. This acute viral disease is common in some countries of the world, so travellers should be aware of the risks when travelling.
Rabies is endemic in more than 150 countries and territories, accounting for tens of thousands of deaths each year, mostly in Asia and Africa. Therefore, when traveling to the endemic continents, there is a high risk of contracting this disease.
Dogs and cats are the main source of rabies infection for humans
Both wild (foxes, wolves, raccoon dogs) and domestic (dogs, cats, cattle) animals can get infected with rabies. According to the data possessed by NPHC, people are more often injured by pets – dogs and cats. in 2022, 3,845 people sought medical help due to animal bites and scratches, of which 2,717 people were injured by dogs, and 1,017 by cats. Every year, encounters with stray animals are reported. Last year, 1,478 people were injured by unknown dogs and cats, 90 people by wild animals.
Vaccination can save lives
After being bitten by any animal, a person should immediately seek help at a medical facility, where the doctor, after assessing the possible risk, will prescribe the rabies vaccination course consisting of five doses of the vaccine given on days 0, 3, 7, 14, 28.
"It is very important to go to a medical facility in time to assess the risk of injury and, if necessary, to administer the rabies vaccination. Vaccination is the only way to save a person's life after being bitten, scratched, or bitten by an animal with rabies," – points out Daiva Razmuvienė, chief specialist of the Communicable Diseases Management Department at NPHC.
Last year, almost half of people (1,804) who were injured by animals were vaccinated against rabies. Some of the injured people (1024) did not complete the entire vaccination course, others (93) refused to be vaccinated.
What to do when injured by animal?
After being bitten or scratched by an animal, the first thing to do is to treat the wound – wash it with soap and running water, disinfect it and go to a medical facility. "The doctor will be able to examine the wound and assess the risk of rabies infection. If the injured animal can be identified and its owner can be found, then NPHC specialists will arrange for the veterinary specialists to monitor the animal for 14 days to ensure that it is free of rabies. If the animal is wild or the animal does not have owners, the injured person will be given the rabies vaccine," – explains the NPHC representative about the application of preventive measures after an animal bite.
How is rabies transmitted?
Humans become infected with rabies when they are bitten, scratched, or licked by a rabid animal and the rabies virus enters the wound with its saliva. The risk of infection is greater if the infected animal bites the naked body, rather than through clothing. It is especially dangerous when rabid animals bite a person's face. Infection is less likely if a rabid animal's saliva gets into skin scratches, conjunctiva or mucous membranes.
The incubation period of the disease can last from 12 days to several months, depending on the place of infection (the closer to the head, the shorter the incubation period), the amount of infection that entered the wound, etc.
The symptoms resemble the flu
The first symptoms of rabies are fever, headache, and weakness. As the disease progresses, fear of water, fear of drafts or fresh air, throat spasms, muscle weakness manifest, leading to coma and death.
Last updated: 28-09-2023
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