How Is Rabies Contracted?
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What Is Rabies
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Rabies is a preventable viral disease carried by mammals. It attacks the central nervous system and causes encephalopathy, or a breakdown of brain and nervous tissue, which ultimately leads to death.
How Do You Contract Rabies?
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Rabies is contracted from the bite of an infected animal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Less than 10 percent of incidents are a result of domestic animal bites; the majority of cases are from wild animal bites. The virus is transmitted through saliva.
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How Is Rabies Treated?
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Rabies is treated with a series of injections. First you are given a fast-acting shot of immune globulin (a blood product with antibodies to rabies virus), near the site where you were bitten. This shot prevents the virus from infecting you and should be given as soon as possible, according to the Mayo Clinic.
You are then given a series of six injections of rabies vaccinations over a 28-day period that continues to help your body learn how to fight off the virus and become immune. These shots are delivered in the deltoid muscle of your arm.
Symptoms Of Rabies
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Early symptoms of rabies, according to the National Institutes of Health, include a fever, headache and fatigue. As the virus attacks your brain and central nervous system you will experience confusion, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivating (foaming at the mouth), hallucinations and finally paralysis.
If You Suspect Rabies
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If you have been bitten by an animal and are unsure whether it carries rabies, seek medical attention immediately. The Mayo Clinic recommends, for example, if a bat enters your house and you are unsure if it has bitten anybody, assume you've been bitten and seek treatment accordingly. If possible, capture the animal and have it tested for rabies.
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