Why in the news?

• According to a new study, out of the rabies-related human deaths reported globally each year, India accounts for nearly one-third.

Rabies

• What is it?: Rabies is a fatal zoonotic viral disease primarily transmitted through dog bites.
• Causing Agent: RABV virus (Rhabdoviridae family), an RNA virus, transmitted through saliva of infected dog’s bite.
• Vectors: Majorly by dogs. Can also be transmitted by bats, foxes, and monkeys
• Infection:
  • It affects the Central Nervous system of humans.
  • Human-human transmission is absent.
  • Symptoms: Initial symptoms feature fever, headache, lethargy, and bite-site pain, escalating to hydrophobia, aerophobia, agitation, paralysis, convulsions, and coma.
  • Characteristic Symptom: Caused by painful spasms of the throat and respiratory muscles when the patient tries to swallow liquids- Known as Hydrophobia.
• Prevention:
  • Prompt wound washing with soap/water, rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), and a 4-5 dose vaccine series (intradermal/intramuscular) yields near-100% efficacy.
  • Once symptoms appear, only supportive and palliative care is possible.

Source: The Hindu