Rabies a Zoonotic disease, Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment

Rabies a zoonotic disease prevalent worldwide, with high mortality, more than a third of global toll in India. Dogs are the common animals involved. In Americas, bat bites are the most common source of rabies infection in humans. Rabies is caused by lyssaviruses including rabies virus and Australian bat lyssavirus. Disease produces almost fatal encephalitis in humans and in other mammals. From the point of entry, the virus is neurotropic, travelling along neural pathways into the central nervous system. After the brain infected virus travels centrifugally to the peripheral and autonomic nervous system, and migrating to salivary glands, ready to be transmitted to the next host. Incubation period as short as four days and longer than six years Symptoms soon expand to slight or partial paralysis, anxiety confusion, hallucination and delirium. Survival is rare once symptoms have presented even with the intensive care. Hydrophobia is associated with furious rabies (80%), and 20 % experience paralytic rabies marked by muscle weakness .RT PCR assays are sensitive and specific for routine diagnostic test.Control includes vaccinating the dogs, cats and control of the strays. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) given without delay is 100 % effective against rabies. CDC recommends people receive one dose of human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) and four doses of rabies vaccine over a 14-day period.