Is it true that Rabies in Bali had decrease significantly?
Should we (still) talk about rabies? The answer is of course YES! Especially if you are the kind of people that easily forget or simply like ‘I just have overall info about rabies I think I’ll survive”.
And by the way, it’s not always by dog bites, thou it is common in Bali, but also bat, fox, skunk, monkey and even cat also can be source of rabies.
Still think you only need overall information about rabies?
To add more cringe to your attention, let’s find out what happen to your body when you got bite by rabies animal.
You get not only fever but also the feeling of depressed, agitation, painful spasms followed by excessive saliva that make you look like an idiot. But also you will have foaming at mouth after drinking water because spasms in your throat, and last but not least, you will face death within a week without vaccine.
Well, that probably the furious signs of rabies.
The initial onset of rabies will be similar as a flu-like symptoms including fever, muscle weakness and tingling feeling. Also you might feel burning at the bite area.
Now that you paying attention to this topic of Rabies, let’s talk about how to handle the situation.
First, when you got bit by animals that might be rabies carrier, please don’t ever wait till that animal shows signs of rabies to do something.
There are few things you must do when you got bit by animal. Follow these steps: press on the wound gently to cause some bleeding to help flush out as much bacteria as possible. Then wash the wound with mild soap and water, slow the bleeding with a clean cloth, apply over-the counter antibiotic cream if you have it. Shortly after that wrap the wound in a sterile bandage also keep the wound bandaged and see your doctor to get vaccine.
Ok, you probably now said, I know this already.
Yes. But do you know what the vaccine is about?
Actually, there is complete treatment for rabies, called Post-Exposure Prophylaxis or PEP. PEP consists of two components which are anti-rabies vaccine and anti-rabies immunoglobulins.
The anti-rabies vaccine is a scheduled vaccine that given from the day you got the bite, third day, seventh day and twentieth day, so all are four shots.
It develops protection against the virus in the body after six to seven day after the first vaccine is taken and other vaccine is taken and of course other vaccines are taken as scheduled. The vaccine itself is given by intradermal route or injection in the dermis, the one of the layers of the skin.
The second PEP components are the anti-rabies immunoglobulins which a single dose of Immunoglobulin that given in the area around the site of the bite. This immunoglobulin immediately starts acting on the virus, different from the vaccine which needs seven days and three doses to be able to restrict the virus.
So, why do we still need the anti-rabies vaccine if we already get the anti-rabies immunoglobulin?
The reason is because the series of anti-rabies vaccines help your body learns to identify and fight the rabies virus. Therefore, go to the doctor immediately after you exposed by animal bite so that he or she can determine your treatment right away.
Another crucial note, don’t get fooled by thinking that a puppy won’t do no harm of rabies on you, folks.
Puppies, which usually not taken seriously, have low immune status. They are very easy to be infected by rabies virus from another animal.
So, remember any bite from unvaccinated dogs, adult or puppy, can cause rabies.
By the way, in case you are the type of “too cool to go to doctor” after a bite from animal. Just remember that the rabies virus spreads through central nervous system, so the closest the bite is from the brain, the faster for the virus to spread.
Stay save, peeps!
SOURCES:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rabies/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351826
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/helping-hands/rabies-vaccine-treatment
https://www.healthline.com/health/rabies#symptoms
https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/medical_care/index.html
