Rabies transmission routes

1. You may be infected with rabies by eating the meat of rabies-infected animals;

2. You may be infected with rabies by contact with a virus-carrying dog;

3. You may be infected with rabies by handling animal fur and coming into contact with animal blood and secretions.

4. Rabies can be spread from person to person.

Cases of rabies infection between humans

In the past, it was believed that rabies could only be transmitted to humans through animals and not between humans. But now there are some examples of human-to-human transmission. In 1982, there was a case in my country where a farmer performed mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration to rescue a child who had fallen into the water and was bitten by a rabid dog. He died of rabies three months later. A mother in Taiyuan, Shanxi, contracted rabies 7 months later after nursing her rabid daughter. A 26-year-old farmer in Anhui became ill and died a month later after coming into contact with his younger brother who was infected with rabies.

Rabies is preventable but not curable

Prevention is the key to reducing and eliminating rabies. Dogs and cats are the main sources of rabies infection. The main measures to control rabies are to limit the number of dogs or proactively vaccinate domestic cats and dogs against rabies. It should also be noted that wounds bitten by dogs, cats or other animals should be cleaned and treated immediately. Currently, vaccinating dogs and cats against rabies appears to protect humans against rabies.

In addition, other routes of infection cannot be ignored. You cannot eat the meat of animals that died due to rabies, and you cannot eat even the meat of dogs and wild animals of unknown origin; do not be too close to unimmunized animals, and do not come into contact with the blood and secretions of these animals; when caring for rabies patients You should also pay attention to isolation. Because there is currently no effective treatment for rabies, prevention is the key to reducing and eliminating rabies.

Preventive Measures for Rabies

After a person is bitten by a dog or cat carrying rabies virus, if it is not treated in time, the disease will usually occur within 50 to 60 days.

Once bitten or scratched by a dog or cat, three-step emergency response measures should be taken immediately:
Step one: Wash the wound thoroughly. Immediately flush the wound with running water to flush away the virus and squeeze out the blood as much as possible. If possible, it is best to rinse with 20% soapy water for 20-30 minutes. Then use iodine to disinfect the wound, and then use alcohol to wash off the iodine. Repeat this three times.
Step 2: Immediately go to the local epidemic prevention department for vaccination. Never wait a few days before getting an injection. The incubation period of rabies is as fast as 10 days before onset of symptoms, and as slow as several years.
Step 3: If the bite is serious, antiviral serum must be injected and used at the same time as the vaccine. Antiviral serum must be tested first under the guidance of a doctor.