Conditions for rabies transmission

Rabies is a serious disease that is almost always fatal once it occurs, and there is no effective drug to treat it. Rabies is also contagious to a certain extent. The secretions of rabies patients contain the rabies virus, so once a patient contracts this disease, he must be isolated and treated to avoid infecting others.

Is rabies contagious?

Rabies is contagious to a certain extent. It is an acute infectious disease caused by the rabies virus. It is mainly transmitted through bites or scratches from animals carrying the rabies virus. It can also be transmitted through slaughtering infected animals. In some cases, it can also be transmitted through the digestive tract. In natural conditions, animals such as dogs, wolves, cats, and bats can carry the rabies virus and are the main source of infection. The secretions of rabies patients contain rabies virus. Theoretically, there is a possibility of infecting others. Appropriate isolation should be taken to prevent infection. The general population is susceptible to rabies. After exposure, rabies vaccine should be administered promptly, and those with serious injuries should also be given anti-rabies immunoglobulin to prevent infection.

How to prevent rabies

1. Manage the source of infection

Vaccinate domestic animals and manage stray animals. For animals suspected of dying of rabies, their brain tissue should be removed for examination and burned or buried deeply. They must not be skinned or eaten.

2. Treat wounds properly

Don't be too nervous after being bitten by an animal. You should stay calm and immediately rinse the wound repeatedly with 20% soapy water. Deep wounds require a catheter to be inserted and continuously irrigated with soapy water to remove dog saliva and squeeze out dirty blood. Generally, the wound is not sutured or bandaged. Antibacterial drugs are used when necessary. If the wound is deep, tetanus antitoxin is also used.

3. Get rabies vaccination

Vaccination has definite value in preventing disease, including active immunization and passive immunization. Once a person is bitten, vaccination is crucial, and in severe cases, rabies serum injection is also required.

(1) Active Immunity

① Post-exposure vaccination: Generally, the bitten person should be injected with rabies vaccine once on day 0 (1st day, the same day), day 3 (day 4, and so on), day 7, day 14, and day 28, for a total of 5 injections. The dose is the same for adults and children. For those who are severely bitten (bitten on the head, face, neck, fingers, or multiple parts of the body, or if the bites or licks touch the mucous membranes), in addition to injecting rabies vaccine as described above, double the dose should be injected on days 0 and 3.

② Pre-exposure vaccination: For those patients who have not been bitten, they can be vaccinated with relevant rabies vaccines when they are healthy. Three injections can be given on 0, 7, and 28 days, and then boosted once a year, and then once every 1 to 3 years.

(2) Passive immunity

If the wound is deep, severe, or occurs on the head, face, neck, hands, etc., and the biting animal is likely to be infected with rabies, rabies serum should be injected immediately. This serum contains high-titer anti-rabies immunoglobulin, which can directly neutralize the rabies virus. It should be used as early as possible after the injury. It will be almost ineffective if used one week after the injury.