World Rabies Day is held on September 28 every year. World Rabies Day aims to raise global awareness of rabies and advocate the eradication of rabies. The theme of this year's World Rabies Day is rabies: one health, zero death.
"One health" refers to the indivisibility and interdependence of human, animal and environmental health; "Zero death", that is, the global strategic plan of "zero rabies death by 2030", emphasizes that rabies can be prevented or eliminated.
What is rabies
Rabies is an acute infectious disease of the central system caused by rabies virus. It is an infectious disease with a high mortality rate shared by humans and animals (livestock). Once it happens, 100% died. Almost all warm blooded animals are susceptible to rabies virus, and dogs and cats are the main storage hosts.
In China, most rabies is caused by the bite of rabies infected dogs and other animals, and a few is caused by scratch or wound or mucous membrane pollution. In some cases, it is infected by direct contact with human mucous membrane or skin wound through saliva. Rabies virus cannot invade intact and undamaged skin.
Symptoms of rabies
If you are infected with rabies virus, there will be:
△ Latency period: mostly 1-3 months, rarely less than 1 week or more than 1 year.
△ prodromal period: generally lasting for 2-4 days, low fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, etc. will occur.
△ Excitement period: generally lasting for 1-3 days, there will be fear of water, fear of wind, pharyngeal spasm, etc.
△ Death: If there is no life support treatment, most patients will die within 7-14 days of the first clinical symptoms.
How to deal with scratches and bites by cats and dogs correctly
1. Rinse the wound immediately: wash the wound thoroughly with soap water or other weak alkaline detergent and flowing clean water alternately for at least 15 minutes.
2. Disinfection: disinfect the wound with iodophor (or 2% iodine, 75% alcohol).
3. Get medical attention as soon as possible.
4. Vaccination: Vaccination should be carried out in strict accordance with the time schedule without interruption!
Problems related to rabies vaccination
☆ Can pregnant women take rabies vaccine? Research shows that it is safe for pregnant women to take rabies vaccine and will not affect the fetus.
☆ What reactions may occur after vaccination: generally, the injection site may appear red, swollen, painful and itchy within 24 hours of vaccination; Or mild fever, weakness, headache, dizziness, joint pain, muscle pain, vomiting, abdominal pain and other systemic reactions.
☆ Have been vaccinated with rabies vaccine before, do you need to fight again after being bitten: Yes. Rabies vaccine cannot be immunized for life.
☆ Need rabies vaccine after being bitten: rabies vaccine should be injected after being bitten by rabies patients, and should be treated according to the doctor's advice after being bitten by ordinary people, without rabies vaccine.
☆ Can other vaccines be inoculated at the same time: Yes, but rabies vaccine should be given priority.