HOW RABIES KILLS

' Rabies claims the life of one person every 10 minutes,This is a sad story of how a bat snuffed out the life of Zach Jones. A bird had flown into his room and he got bitten without knowing it, He had the window screens down . He'd woken to find a bat fluttering around his face and a friend who was around just dropped a towel over the bat and threw it out of the window – luckily she didn't come into contact with it at the time or we may have lost her as well. At the time they had no idea that rabies could occur in bats and so we thought nothing more of it.Read what led to his death. Zach was very athletic and loved sport. He was a swimmer and played football regularly. He was very healthy and careful about what medications he put into his body. Looking back, he showed some minor symptoms early on – he had a slight cough and a runny nose – but I put that down to springtime allergies. On May 4 though, he displayed some rabies symptoms. He came home from school and said: "Mom, there's something very wrong with my mind, I can't explain it." He told us that he'd been coming home on the bus and that he'd felt very frightened by the loud noises it was making. He seemed very agitated but the really classic symptom he showed was what we now know as hydrophobia – he tried to drink but he couldn't swallow. He said if he drank the water, he wouldn't be able to breathe. He went to bed that night and at 2.30am he woke up and came to tell me again that there was something very wrong. I switched on the light in the kitchen and he cowered away from it. He said he'd been awake all night and he'd been hallucinating. We took him to the emergency room at around 4am. We had no idea what could be wrong. Zach was transferred to the children's hospital in Houston, where they did some tests. Because he was a teenager they decided he must have taken drugs, but we knew Zach was a good kid and we knew he was not the type to do that. He was then transferred to a mental facility, where they then told us that he was not a mental patient but a medical patient and he did not belong there, so it was back to the hospital. That is why, to this day, I always a led to his death.dvise people to get a second opinion. Unfortunately medical staff are not always right. Early the next morning, the same neighbour of mine who had thrown the bat out of Zach's room came to the hospital. She had suddenly remembered the bat and wondered if it had any significance. The doctor said there was very little chance it had any relevance, but I asked if they could do a rabies test and, two days later, it came back positive. A few days afterwards, on May 12, we lost our son Zach. We know there are many others whose lives have been saved because of Zach. In my husband Larry's family alone, eight members including cousins and nieces have been bitten by bats since Zach died, and because of his story they all knew to get vaccinated. It's so important to educate others about rabies because people, including health officials, don't know that it still exists where we live. Aside from this a lot of doctors tend to play down the threat and try to say the risk is low, and then because of that people do not get vaccinated. The sad thing is that it is completely preventable if people know the facts and get the right medical advice. Larry and I are trying to raise awareness about this in our community. We've set up the Zach Jones Memorial Fund and we have annual fundraisers. The community donates items to be sold for auction, and we also do a golf tournament. Last year we raised $85,000 and we want to use this money to educate people about the dangers of contracting this disease. At the moment we're funding the Texas State Health Department's poster competition about rabies which will help people, especially school children, to be more informed. We have also set up a scholarship in Zach's name to enable kids in the area to go to college. Doing this makes us feel better about what has happened. If we knew then what we know now, Zach would still be alive, but if we can save even one more life by doing this, it makes the pain of losing him a little easier to bear. Rabies is fatal but preventable, vaccinate your pets. stay away from wild animals//stray animals. Bat-proof your homes.

RABIES# STEPS TO FOLLOW WHEN BITTEN.

When bitten by an animal,that vaccination status is not reported follow these steps;As rabies is a fatal disease, it is often best to start the series of shots until further information is available. The animal should be isolated and observed for 10 days. Wild animals that can be captured can be killed and tested for the virus. If the animal can't be found, it is best to consult with the local health department. Post exposure prophylaxis (protective treatment) for rabies requires the following information: Bite: Did a bite occur, and where is the location of the bite? Non-bite incident: Did the saliva touch an open would or a mucous membrane? Bats: Any contact with a bat that leads to a potential scratch, bite, or mucous membrane exposure to saliva needs to be evaluated. If prolonged exposure to a bat is discovered (sleeping in a room where a bat is found), post exposure prophylaxis needs to be considered. When bitten, wash bite site with soap and water and visit the hospital to start post exposure treatment. The first is a rabies immune globulin that helps to prevent the virus from infecting the individual, Part of this immunization is given near the animal bite.This is followed by five injections over the next two weeks. These are rabies vaccines to help the body fight the virus given at day 0, 3 7,14 and 28.

RABIES !!! THE BAT CONNECTION.

Rabies is a very serious disease caused by a virus. Rabies is mainly a disease of animals but humans can get rabies if bitten or scratched by an infected animal. The virus infects the brain, causing an animal to exhibit unusual, often aggressive, behavior. The rabies virus is present in the saliva of the infected animal and is spread when the saliva gets into a bite or scratch. Wild animals like bats are the most common source of transmission of rabies to humans ; Skunks, raccoons, dogs, cats, coyotes and foxes are other examples of animals that can transmit the disease. When traveling, it is always prudent to avoid approaching any wild or domestic animal. Avoid contact with wild and unfamiliar domestic animals .Wild animals should not be kept as pets and should never be handled by people who are not properly trained and vaccinated. Dogs, cats or ferrets that have received rabies vaccination are unlikely to be infected with rabies. Bites from wild animals are considered to carry a risk of rabies unless proven otherwise by testing. Bats causes rabies anyone who is bitten or scratched by a bat should receive post-exposure prophylaxis, unless the bat can be tested and its negative for rabies. However, under certain circumstances, bats can bite and transmit rabies without the victim being aware of the bite.Bats should never be kept as pets and should not be picked up or handled by anyone, except those who are trained and have received rabies vaccination. When someone contracts rabies, there are no symptoms initially ,Sometimes it is weeks to even months after a bite when symptoms begin. The first symptoms of rabies may be very similar to those of the flu, including general weakness or discomfort, fever or headache. These symptoms may last for days. There may be also discomfort or a prickling or itching sensation at the site of bite. Additional symptoms are anxiety, confusion, agitation, seizures, abnormal behavior, hallucinations and insomnia. Human rabies almost always results in death. Rabies infection can be prevented, even after a bite or a scratch from an infected animal occurs. Wounds should be washed with soap and lots of water and may be rinsed with an antiseptic. This will reduce the risk of the rabies virus entering the body. A series of injections, including rabies vaccine and human rabies immune globulin, can prevent rabies, even if the virus enters the body. This preventive strategy is called post-exposure prophylaxis. Rabies immune globulin contains antibodies against the rabies virus and provides immediate protection against rabies infection, whereas the rabies vaccine provides protection within approximately two weeks. Certain information is needed to determine if post-exposure rabies prophylaxis is needed. This includes: whether the person was bitten or scratched, and the location of the wounds and the type of animal involved.Whether the exposure was provoked or unprovoked (animals infected with rabies are more likely to attack, even when not provoked). The vaccination status of the animal against rabies and the presence of rabies in that animal species in the region and the availability of the animal for testing or observation. The post-exposure prophylaxis consists of a regimen of one dose of immune globulin and four doses of rabies vaccine. Rabies immune globulin and the first dose of rabies vaccine should be given by the health care provider as soon as possible after exposure. Additional doses of the rabies vaccine should be given on days 3, 7 and 14 after the first vaccination.

RABIES !!!

RABIES ,a neglected zoonosis. What is Rabies?. This is a viral disease causing encephalitis in warm blooded animals.IT is zoonotic, meaning it is transmitted from animals to man. Rabies in man is a result of close contact with a rabid animal such as dogs,cats, bats, foxes, raccoons e.t.c. The rabies virus is in the saliva and urine of infected animals. 

The virus can be transmitted through bites of rabid animals, scratches, contamination of wounds with infected saliva, or mucosa contamination. 95% of human deaths occur in Africa and Asia, where 1/2 of those bitten are children under 10 years of age.

 The control of human rabies is linked to the eradication of rabies in animals. The prevalence of rabies is high in developing countries, poor underdeveloped countries because they dont seek medical care when bitten by rabid animals. 

The risk is also high in all these countries because of high population of stray dogs, increase contact of man with wild animals as man encroaches into the habitats of these reservoirs of the virus in the wild. In Nigeria, the reservoir hosts are dogs, cats , monkeys and to have a rabies free country , we advocate vaccination of our pets, and pre exposure vaccination for health workers @ risk such as vet, animal health professionals, animal handlers e.t.c. 

 What do you do when bitten by a rabid dog? 1) wash site of bite with soap and water, continuously for 10 to 15 mins, Wash under running water. 2) Pour antiseptic such as dettol or alcohol based solutions such as after shave lotion on site, to kill the virus @ site of bite. 3) Go to the clinic, and get the post exposure shots of the anti rabies vaccine. 4) Report the case to animal health agency nearest to you. 

A report is important to the vet hospital nearest to you, so that other steps as regards the dog can be taken, the dog must be quarantined for at least 10 days to ascertain if dog is truly rabid. The treatment protocol depends on certain factors such as, 1) has the victim been exposed to pre exposure vaccination.2) what is the status of the dog. Most people dont take pre exposure vaccination against rabies, so the bite site must be infiltrated with a RABIES IMMUNOGLOBULIN, before the anti rabies vaccination commences. 

 Treatment protocol. (NO prior vaccination) 1) wash site of bite, and in filtrate wound with the rabies immunoglobulin vaccine. 2) The anti rabies vaccine is administered on day 0, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days. 

 When a person has had pre exposure vaccination of the anti rabies vaccine, do the following. 1) wash site of bite but dont infiltrate wound site with the rabies immunoglobulin. 2) the antirabies vaccination is given on day 0 and 3 , just 2 shots of the vaccine.

 Day 0 signifies the day you start the vaccine administration, which should be the day of bite, as delay can be fatal. Rabies though deadly can be prevented, vaccinate your pets today. .

Rabies!!!

http://delawarestatenews.net/news/veterinarian-says-kitten-treated-in-townsend-had-rabies/

PERSONAL HYGIENE ; A KEY TO DISEASE PREVENTION IN FARMS.

Bio security is a set of protocols that are simple but specific that positively influence animal health,public health and ensure food safety. Personal hygiene is a key player in biosecurity.

 Personal hygiene plays a vital role in disease prevention. The use of protective clothing and shoes is a major way to stay safe and keep flock clean.

 The protective clothing could be disposable or reusable and the level protection required will depend on the case at hand. The normal protective clothing for every day farm use include, the overalls,gloves and boots.

The level of protection becomes more sophisticated in outbreak cases, where disposable protective clothing are worn.

There is also the use of nose guards/respirators, gloves and boots. The use of protective clothing and boots is coupled with hand washing and disinfection. The clothes and boots are to be washed and disinfected after every use.


 HAND WASHING: this can be done with soap hand sanitizers and disinfectants.The wash bowls should be placed at key points in the farm,and washing should be done before you enter farm and handle birds.

 Alcohol swipes also come in handy after washing, these can be used to ensure the hands are clean and germ free.

Foot dip.and vats filled with disinfectant are placed at entry of farms ,the disinfectants should be changed at regular intervals changed at regular intervals.

MONEY_MAKING IN VET PRACTICE.# VETPRENEUR.

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