Where There Is No Doctor 2011 181
RABIES
Rabies comes from the bite of
a rabid or ‘mad’ animal, usually a
rabid dog, cat, fox, wolf, skunk,
or jackal. Bats and other animals
may also spread rabies.
Signs of rabies:
In the animal:
• Acts strangely—sometimes
sad, restless, or irritable.
• Foaming at the mouth, cannot eat or drink.
• Sometimes the animal goes wild (mad) and may bite anyone or anything
nearby.
• The animal dies within 5 to 7 days.
Signs in people:
• Pain and tingling in the area of the bite.
• Irregular breathing, as if the person has just been crying.
• Pain and difficulty swallowing, and fear of liquids. A lot of thick, sticky saliva.
• The person is alert, but very nervous or excitable. Fits of anger can occur.
• As death nears, seizures (convulsions) and paralysis.
If you have any reason to believe an animal that has bitten someone has rabies:
♦ Tie or cage the animal for a week.
♦ Clean the bite well with soap, water, and hydrogen peroxide. Do not close the
wound; leave it open.
♦ If the animal dies before the week is up (or if it was killed or cannot be
caught), take the bitten person at once to a health center where he can be
given a series of anti-rabies injections.
The first symptoms of rabies appear from 10 days up to 2 years after the bite
(usually within 3 to 7 weeks). Treatment must begin before the first signs of the
sickness appear. Once the sickness begins, no treatment known to medical science
can save the person’s life.
Prevention:
♦ Kill and bury (or cage for one week) any animal suspected of having rabies.
♦ Cooperate with programs to vaccinate dogs.
♦ Keep children far away from any animal that seems sick or acts strangely.
Take great care in handling any animal that seems sick or acts strangely.
Even if it does not bite anyone, its saliva can cause rabies
if it gets into a cut or scratch.