Rabies: Can a dog bite cause Rabies?

What is Rabies? Symptoms and treatment

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Rabies is a viral, zoonotic infection that affects the nervous system and can be fatal and life-threatening. The saliva of the infected animals may transmit the virus, lyssa virus to humans through bite. 

In rabies, there is inflammation of the brain, encephalitis. The rabies virus enters the central nervous and peripheral nervous system and starts producing infection in the brain and spine. 

Animal bites are the most common cause of rabies. Both domestic and wild animals are capable of transmitting the deadly rabies virus by biting humans. In general, most of the cases of rabies account for the bites by stray dogs.  

The virus responsible for cauing rabies can cross the blood brain barrier very rapidly once it reaches our brain via blood stream. Once it reaches the brain, the survival chances decrease and the fatality rate increases.  It can even cause death of the person, if not treated properly.  

Pre-prophylaxis and postprohylaxis vaccines are proven to be useful in preventing the risk of infection or preventing the infection to spread inside the body and reach the brain.

Can a dog bite cause Rabies?

Yes. Animal bites are the common cause of Rabies. The infected animals carry rabies virus in their saliva and when they bite a human, they can transfer the virus to the person. The wound caused by the bite makes it easy for the virus to enter the blood and body cells. Sharp scratches from animal nails can also infect humans. 

Stray dogs are the reservoir of RABV rabies virus as they are unvaccinated. Unvaccinated pets can also be infected if it gets bitten by the infected stray dogs. 

Which animals can cause rabies in humans?

• Mostly stray dogs are the cause but depending upon your geographical biodiversity it can be an animal most commonly seen in your location. 
• Stray dogs and cats are common in developing countries.
• Both domestic and wild animals are affected by the virus and when they bite, it can cause rabies in humans or other animals. 
• Animals such as bats, coyotes, skunks, foxes, raccons, rabbits, goats, horses, etc be infected with the rabies virus and infect humans and other animals by their bite.

Who are at risk of contracting the rabies virus infection?

Rabies can affect anyone and almost anyone who gets a bite by rabid animal can contract the infection. Some people are however, more likely to contract the rabies virus infection. They are:

• Children upto 15 years are at more risk of contracting rabies via animal bite. 
• People who reside in a locality where there are multiple bats. In the US, bats are the common cause of rabies. 
• People living in developing countries where there are more domestic stray dogs and cats. 
• People who travel to developing countries without getting preprophylatic vaccines for rabies. 
• People who keep unvaccinated pets at home.
• People who are zookeeper or work in animal welfare centers
• People who  look after infected animals.
• People who often go to wild life camping.

What are the signs and symptoms seen in Rabies?

Fever is the most common and initial symptoms seen in Rabies. A person may feel sick like having flu. The infection spreads very slowly as the virus may take 1-3 months to show the symptoms, once you get a bite. 

It may take many months to a year for the rabies virus to reach the brain through the peripheral nervous system. The neurological symptoms start to appear as the virus causes infection in the brain. Once the neurological symptoms start, it becomes quite impossible to manage the situation or save life. The fatality increases at this point.  The treatment may not be successful at this stage of infection into your brain. 

Following are the signs and symptoms of rabies:

• Fever with chills
• Malaise
• Muscle aches and fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Burning at the site of bite
• Tingling and numbness at the site of bite(wound)

Once the virus reaches the central nervous system it can cause two types of response

• Furious rabies
• Paralytic rabies

What are the symptoms of furious rabies?

Signs and symptoms of this type are: 

• Fever
• Irritability
• Agitation
• Confusion and hallucination
• Anxiety and insomnia
• Excess saliva production and drooling of saliva
• Fear of water(hydrophobia)
• Fear of swallowing water
• The mere sight of water or liquids may stimulate a fear response. 
• Fear of  air blown on the face (aerophobia)
• Increased heart rate or tachycardia
• Rapid breathing
• Severe muscle twitching or contractions
• Seizure attacks
• Delirium stage

What are the symptoms seen in paralytic rabies? 

• Facial paralysis
• Fever continues
• Stiffness of the neck 
• Paralysis of the body 
• Coma

When a person reaches the state of being paralyzed and enters coma, it is quite common that the person would not survive even if treated. 

  

How do we know it is rabies? How to diagnose rabies?

When we talk about diagnosis of rabies, it is a general rule to not wait for the diagnosis. Once you get an animal bite, wash the wound or bitten area thoroughly with ample water and apply antiseptic lotion or cream. Immediately rush to the hospital and get your rabies vaccine to prevent the risk of viral infection. 

The medical team won't usually wait for the diagnosis of rabies. Any animal bite is assumed as a bite by a rabid animal and the treatment is postexposure vaccines. It is always best to be on the safe side. 

Your doctor may order for wound care and vaccines to protect yourself from rabies. 

Your doctor may need to ask a series of question to you:

• When did you get animal bite?
• Was it a pet or some stray animal?
• Was it a wild animal?
• Do you know the animal that bite you/are you familiar about its owner?
• Was the animal in agitated state when it bite you?
• Do you know about the vaccination status if it was a pet animal?
• Are you prevaccinated ever with rabies vaccine?
• Can you find that animal and check its health status over a month? 

The above few questions can clear some doubts and help your doctor in deciding whether you need a series of vaccine shots or not. Animal welfare may pick up the animal and monitor or test it for rabies virus. 

The ideal treatment is to have vaccine shots promptly. 

Rabies may take up to 3 months to show up the initial symptoms and still we cannot get a clear idea that it is rabies. So it is best for us to get vaccinated in case of any animal bite. 

The symptoms of rabies may be delayed as the virus gradually enters the nervous system. Only in later stages many tests can confirm it is rabies. Such tests are mostly done when the neurological symptoms start. 

• Saliva test for virus detection
• Lumbar puncture test to aspirate CSF to detect virus in the cerebrospinal fluid
• CT scan and MRI to know the changes in the brain and spine
• Blood culture tests

What is the treatment of rabies?

Rabies is a preventable zoonotic viral disease. However, once it starts to infect the  CNS, it becomes difficult to treat the patient.  The reason is almost any treatment given in later stages proves to be ineffective.  In rare cases, some person with advanced rabies may survive but again the percentage of survival is near to zero.  

The best treatment is to get yourself vaccinated following any animal bite. Dont wait for days or months, just immediately visit a health care facility,talk to the doctor, show the wound or bitten area and get wound care and vaccine shots as scheduled. 

• 4 Post prophylaxis vaccine shots are given over 14 days 
• Human immunoglobulin vaccine may be given at the site of the wound to kill the virus near or on the wound skin. 
• If you are already pre-vaccinated before the bite, talk to the doctor. You may require just 2 shots of rabies vaccine then. 
• Take care of the wound until it gets healed completely. Take antibiotics to prevent any wound infection other than rabies. Open wound tend to get infected by fungus and bacteria. Apply povidone iodine solution or antiseptic cream to your wound as ordered by your doctor.  
• Follow up as ordered by your doctor. 

Is rabies a preventable viral disease? 

• Rabies can be prevented.  Proper care of pets and keeping yourself and your pets vaccinated ensures the safety from rabies. 
• Ensure all your pets get their vaccines for rabies
• You also get vaccinated for rabies on a regular basis, if you live in risk-prone areas.
• Whenever you visit wildlife or go camping in forest, stay away from the wild animals
• Never touch the injured wild animals. 
• Always make sure your pets are with you or not going out without supervision. 

Note: This post is for informational and educational purpose only, It is not a substitute to any medical or professional advice or treatment. See your doctor in any case.