Rabies

What is Rabies?
 Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute inflammation of
the brain in humans and other warm-blooded animals.

 Rabies can affect any mammal.

 Rabies affected animals spread the virus to other animals

through their saliva.

 We get the disease when we get bitten, scratched, or

licked by an animal that has rabies.
2
 Bitten by which animal
Dogs
Cats Monkeys

Wolves

Cattle

Sheep / Goats
Mongoose Pigs
Donkeys
Horses

Foxes / Jackals Elephants

 In India Humans get Rabies
Usually from

Dogs

Cats

3 – 5% of
Cause > 90% of the Human Human cases

cases
 FACTS ON RABIES
 50% of the deaths due to Rabies are among children under
15 years age.

 Rabies can only be prevented. There is no treatment for

rabies. People who develop the disease die.

 20000 people die of rabies in India every year (1 every

½ hour).

 17.4 million people are bitten by animals every year in

India (1 every 2 seconds).
 The Rabies Virus
• Lyssavirus of the Rhabdoviridae family

• Bullet-shaped, RNA virus

• Infects only mammals

 EPIDEMIOLOGY
Worldwide distribution (except Australia, New Zealand,
Antarctica)

Urban rabies: dogs, cats

foxes, wolves, bats,…

Transmission: Bite
Aerosol
Ingestion
Transplantation
 Rabies Transmission
 Saliva from bite of infected animal

 Scratch
Theoretical risk

 Saliva or neural tissue contact with mucous

membrane (mouth, nose)

 Saliva or neural tissue introduced into fresh, open

wound
 Rabies Incubation Period
• Time between bite and appearance of symptoms

• Weeks to months

• No risk of rabies transmission from infected

animal during incubation period

• Used to establish confinement periods for animals

exposed to potentially rabid animals
accessmedicine.mhmedical
 Clinical Manifestations

Furious Rabies

Dumb or Paralytic Rabies

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justinlavallee.wix
wikipedia
www.tulsapetsmagazine.com
www.integratedveterinarypathologybyalexandrabrower.com
 DIAGNOSIS
•Isolation of virus (saliva, CSF, brain )

•Serology

•Viral Ag detection ( infected tissue )

•Viral DNA detection ( PCR )

 Rabies Diagnosis
• Animal diagnosis
– Post-mortem testing
– Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA) test
• Antigen of virus in brain tissue

• Human diagnosis
– Several tests required for ante-mortem diagnosis
– Saliva, serum, cerebrospinal fluid, hair follicle
from nape of neck
 DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

Other viral encephalitis

Hysteria reaction to animal bite

Landry/Guillan-barre syndrome

Poliomyelitis

Allergic encephalomyelitis ( rabies ccine )

 PREVENTION

Pre-exposure Prophylaxis

Post-exposure Prophylaxis
 Primary Vaccinations

Type Name Route Indications

Human Diploid Cell Pre-exposure or

Imovax® Rabies Intramuscular
Vaccine (HDCV) Postexposure

Purified Chick
Pre-exposure or
Embryo Cell Vaccine RabAvert® Intramuscular
Postexposure
(PCEC)

PPT- 22
 Rabies— Vaccination
• Previously unvaccinated persons get 4 doses
– Days 0, 3, 7, and 14
– 5th dose dropped from vaccine schedule last year
– Intramuscular injections

• Previously vaccinated persons get 2 doses

– Days 0 and 3
 Primary Vaccination

Primary Vaccination

Three 1.0-mL injections of HDCV or PCEC vaccine

should be administered intramuscularly (deltoid
area) -- one injection per day on days 0, 3, 7, and
21 or 28

PPT-
 Booster Doses
Continuous Risk
• People who work with rabies virus in research
laboratories or vaccine production facilities are
at the highest risk for unapparent exposures
• Such persons should have a serum sample
tested for rabies antibody every six months.

• Intramuscular booster doses of vaccine should

be administered to maintain a serum titer
corresponding to at least complete
neutralization at a 1:5 serum dilution by the
RFFIT (Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test for
rabies)
PPT- 24
Rabies Treatment and Prevention in
Animals
• No treatment for animal rabies

• No post-exposure prophylaxis for animals

• Routine vaccination is the only way to prevent animal

rabies

• Vaccination schedule for dogs and cats

– First vaccine at 3 months of age
– Booster vaccine 1 year later
– Vaccinate every 3 years after this
 Management of Animals Potentially
Exposed to Rabies

• Vaccinated cats, dogs, ferrets

– Rabies booster immediately
– 45 day observation
• Under owner’s control
– Any sign of illness should be reported and animal
evaluated by a veterinarian
Management of Animals Potentially
Exposed to Rabies
• Unvaccinated dogs, cats, ferrets
– Euthanasia
– Strict isolation for 6 months
• Confinement in an enclosure that precludes direct
contact with people or other animals
• Rabies vaccine upon entry or 1 month prior to release
• Any sign of illness should be reported and animal
evaluated by a veterinarian
Management of Animals Potentially
Exposed to Rabies

• Vaccinated livestock
– Rabies booster vaccine immediately
– 45 day observation
– Multiple rabid animals in a single herd is unusual
• Restriction of entire herd usually not necessary
– Coordinate with WV Dept. of Agriculture
Management of Animals Potentially
Exposed to Rabies
• Unvaccinated livestock
– Euthanasia
– Confined under close observation for 6 months
• Any signs of illness should be reported and animal
euthanized and tested for rabies
– Vaccination during confinement can be done
– Coordinate with WV Dept. of Agriculture