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Category: Canine,Feline
Rabies Virus
AffectedAnimals:
Dogs, cats, and humans, as well as foxes, raccoons, bats, and all other mammals.
Overview:
Rabies is almost always fatal in domestic animals. The classic symptoms include apprehension, anxiety, biting or snapping at random, and frothing at the mouth. Any mammal, including a human, can be infected by the rabies virus, which causes severe neurological disease and death. The virus is passed in saliva typically acquired through a bite wound or by eating an infected animal. The most common rabies carriers are wild animals, including foxes, skunks, raccoons, and bats.
There is no cure for rabies and animals showing clinical signs should be euthanized, or humanely put to death. Any human exposed to rabies must be treated immediately, before the onset of neurological disease, to prevent infection. Once neurological symptoms appear, there is no treatment for humans, either. Anyone suspected of being exposed to a rabid animal should contact the county or public health offices immediately.
Rabies vaccinations are very effective in the prevention of disease and are required by law in most areas, but regulations vary from region to region. The best prevention is regular vaccination. Rabies vaccines, by law, must be given by a licensed veterinarian; most states will not recognize a rabies vaccination that has not been given by a licensed veterinarian.
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