Annually, on the last Saturday of April, the World Veterinary Day is celebrated. This event was instigated by the World Veterinary Asso-ciation, and it has now become an important date in the international calendar of auspicious celebrations. This year, World Veterinary Day will be recognized globally on April 30.
The selected theme for World Veterinary Day this year is Rabies. We will today share a few thoughts about this dreaded disease which can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Some key facts associated with this disease, and documented in international publications, are:
● One person dies from rabies every 10 minutes. This means that annually over 50,000 people die of this disease.
● Most of the persons who die are children.
99% of human cases of rabies are caused by bites from infected dogs.
● Rabies is one of the most fatal of the infectious diseases. Once the human (bitten by a rabid dog) exhibits symptoms, he/she will almost surely die.
● We constantly associate rabies with dogs, but cats too can transmit the deadly disease. They attack suddenly (without provocation), biting and scratching viciously. The mongoose, foxes, bats, etc (in fact, all wild carnivores) can also transmit the virus.
Now I don’t want to create a panic, and truly there is absolutely no need to be alarmed.
You do need to be aware of the following:
► Not every person bitten by a rabid dog will contract the disease. Not every person who has been in contact with the virus will die. This might be because the amount of virus that has entered the human bloodstream via the bite might be small indeed – not enough to precipitate symptoms and then death. Also, if at the time of biting, the rabid dog is not shedding the virus in profuse quantities, then the healthy human body might not be susceptible to the small amounts of virus entering the body.
► Here in Guyana, we are confronted with a very strange and confusing (currently inexplicable) phenomenon relative to this rabies disease. On the one hand, we know very well that our cattle become infected (usually via bat bites) with Bovine Paralytic Rabies. So, there is rabies in Guyana. Yet, never once have we observed even one rabid dog, nor have we ever heard of one human dying of rabies after having been bitten by a dog showing classical symptoms of rabies (see below). Actually, for decades, field vets have been looking for dogs (cats) showing rabies symptoms, yet no veterinary colleague has ever reported seeing this disease in dogs/cats (and it is legally a ‘notifiable’ disease).
For the purposes of general knowledge and keeping within the objective of sharing facts about rabies – the World Veterinary Day’s chosen theme – let us look at some more basic elements associated with rabies.
What is rabies?
It is a virus that attacks the brain (viral encephalomyelitis).
How is the rabies disease transmitted?
The rabies virus, which can infect almost any mammal, is transmitted practically only by means of a bite that introduces the virus-bearing saliva into the animal being bitten.
What are the signs shown by a rabid animal?
Rabid animals of all species exhibit more or less the same typical symptoms, with minor variations peculiar to carnivorous animals, ruminants, bats and humans.
Dogs interest us the most. Here are the symptoms:
● Change of behaviour (Listlessness alternates with hyperactivity).
● Excited/furious behaviour (that’s why in some languages the disease is known as ‘rage.’ Some scientists call it the ‘Mad Dog Syndrome’). The animal displays irrational and viciously aggressive behaviour. Please note that not every vicious dog has rabies. Indeed until proven otherwise, no dog in Guyana – vicious or otherwise aggressive – has been known to have rabies!
● Paralysis
● Loss of appetite
● Inability to drink water or even swallow saliva. Drooling! This is why, in some places, the disease is also known as hydrophobia (fear of water).
Treatment
No therapeutic intervention should be attempted. Don’t even think it! If an animal is suspected of having rabies, it should be quarantined and observed/handled by the professionals.
What can dog/cat owners do to protect their animals?
Well, even though there has never been a visible or reported case of rabies in dogs and cats in urban/coastal Guyana (or for that matter in the interior/hinterland), one can vaccinate one’s dog/cat against rabies.
Are there successful rabies control measures?
Rabies control programmes work best on a countrywide basis and should include the following: 1) mass vaccination of dogs and cats – this is the single most effective measure; 2) elimination of stray dogs and cats – strays should be collected and held by a local pound or humane shelter for several days and, if unclaimed, killed humanely.
Enough for today on this subject. Next week, we’ll continue with the ‘wound treatment’ saga.
Allow me to wish all my colleagues in Guyana and the Caribbean all the very best on World Veterinary Day, 2011.
Please implement disease preventative measures (vaccinations, routine dewormings, monthly anti-heartworm medication, etc) and adopt-a-pet from the GSPCA’s Animal Clinic and Shelter at Robb Street and Orange Walk, if you have the wherewithal to care well for the animals. Do not stray your unwanted pets, take them to the GSPCA’s Clinic and Shelter instead. If you do not wish your pet to have puppies or kittens, you may exploit the GSPCA’s free spay and neutering programme. If you see anyone being cruel to an animal, or if you need any technical information, please get in touch with the Clinic and Shelter by calling 226-4237.
