The dose28:24What do I need to know about rabies?
Dr. Scott Weese wastes no time when it comes to rabies.
Weese, an infectious diseases veterinarian, remembers when he, his family and some visitors had to receive vaccinations after being exposed to a potentially rabid bat.
“It was a little messy, but… it shows a lot of things that we need to consider when it comes to who is actually exposed,” he said. The dose host Dr. Brian Goldman.
Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in Canada, but some people still come into contact with rabid animals. A boy from Brantford, Ontario. recently died after coming into contact with an infected bat, in the first case of rabies acquired in the country since 1967.
According to experts, not only is it relatively easy to avoid exposure to the disease, but there are also effective treatments available for both humans and animals that may have been exposed, including vaccines.
What is rabies and how is it transmitted?
Rabies is transmitted when contaminated saliva from an infected mammal enters a new mammalian host through a bite, lick, or scratch.
The virus travels through the victim's peripheral nervous system, according to infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch. Finally it settles in the central nervous system.
“The initial symptoms are nonspecific fever, chills, sometimes headache, sometimes muscle aches and pains,” Bogoch said, speaking with The dose host Dr. Brian Goldman.
Without treatment, one of two conditions eventually develops: encephalitic rabies or paralytic rabies, which is less common.
“Basically, the last common pathway, unfortunately, is coma and death,” Bogoch said.
Another sign of a possible rabies infection is a condition known as hydrophobia. Someone infected with rabies will experience muscle spasms in the throat and diaphragm when presented with fluids. Aerophobia, the fear of drafts or puffs of air, is another sign.
Paralytic rabies is sometimes called dumb rabies and is a “flaccid paralysis that can travel down the body,” according to Bogoch.
people with paralytic rage They slowly lose the ability to move body parts, starting with the initially infected body part. If left untreated, patients fall into a coma and eventually die.
Rabies has an incredibly high mortality rate if left untreated and almost always results in death.
According to Weese, the animals exhibit similar symptoms to humans and the disease has the same incredibly high mortality rate, almost 100 percent.
How common is rabies?
While deaths from rabies worldwide range from 50,000 to 60,000 per yearCanadian figures are significantly lower.
Canada has been tracking human rabies cases since 1924 and only 28 people have died in six provinces. at that time. He The most recent death was that of the Brantford boy..
Weese says bats are the most common carriers of rabies in Canada.
A Brantford, Ont., boy died of rabies after contact with a bat in the province's first domestically acquired case of human rabies since 1967. Health officials believe the boy was exposed to the disease in the region of Temiskaming, north of Sudbury.
“It is a low percentage of bats [that carry rabies]but because there are so many bats and they can enter human environments, that is concerning,” he said.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency reports that 95 bats have tested positive for rabies in 2024 to date.
Skunks, foxes, and raccoons are also reservoir species for rabies.
Smaller mammals, such as squirrels and chipmunks, are less likely to transmit rabies simply because they are less likely to survive an initial attack that would infect them in the first place.
“Most of the time, if a squirrel or mouse encounters a rabid animal, the squirrel or mouse will not come out alive,” Weese said.
Dogs and cats can get rabies, and the World Health Organization estimates approximately 99 percent of human rabies cases worldwide are caused by dog bites and scratches.
In Canada, however, rabies vaccines for dogs and cats mean those animals are less likely to transmit the virus to humans.
How do I protect myself against rabies?
Bogoch recommends contacting a medical professional in the event of an animal bite, even if the animal does not appear rabid.
It adds that people should seek post-exposure care after coming into contact with a potentially rabid animal, even if there is no evidence of a bite or scratch.
The family of the Brantford boy who died did not immediately seek care because there was no physical evidence of exposure. according to the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit.
Rabies vaccines are available for people who are exposed to rabid animals, as well as rabies immune globulin, which contains antibodies that prevent rabies disease after exposure.
“If immediate medical attention is sought and the appropriate vaccine and immune globulin are received, it would be extremely unusual for someone to develop rabies after that,” Bogoch said.
Quebec's Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks is trying to vaccinate raccoons against rabies by dropping delicious treats containing medicine from low-flying planes.
Post-exposure treatment is most effective before symptoms appear. Rabies is almost always fatal. after symptoms appear.
Both Bogoch and Weese describe rabies infections as highly preventable.
“To me, every case of rabies in North America is a public health failure,” Weese said.
“Not because public health has failed, but because globally we did not have enough education.”
Be careful with wild animals
One of the easiest ways to avoid contracting rabies from an infected wild animal is to avoid it as much as possible.
“If you're not within walking distance of an animal, it won't bite you,” Weese said.
That means not feeding raccoons, squirrels, or chipmunks; keep outside trash and food waste containers covered; as well as exercising responsible pet ownership by vaccinating dogs and cats.
“Making sure the dogs are properly trained and supervised,” Weese said.
Pets can become infected with rabies if they encounter a rabid animal in the wild, and an infected pet can potentially infect its owners.
“Just because your cat is inside doesn't mean there's no risk of rabies,” Weese said.
“You'd be surprised how many indoor cats we see… get tangled up with wildlife because they escape.”
Young children should also be taught how to behave around wild animals to avoid possible infections.
Weese says there are public health initiatives to vaccinate some wild animals, such as raccoons and foxes, against rabies first.
There have been large-scale efforts to drop oral vaccine baits from helicopters, Weese says, as well as to set up bait stations where raccoons feed.
“These are not easy or cheap, but if we can eliminate a variant of rabies from a species like raccoons especially that live very close to us, that is money well spent.”
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