Rabies Quiz

[cheekee]

Just caught up with this.

What is it that causes the hydrophobia symptom with rabies?

[Doc Alan]

What is it that causes the hydrophobia symptom with rabies?

Hydrophobia ( fear of water ) is the historic name for rabies. Once rabies viruses enter the body, they multiply and spread in nerves to the spinal cord and brain.


While there’s no way of diagnosing rabies before symptoms appear ( any time between a week and a year after exposure ), that’s the time to treat a bite victim with vaccine ( and maybe immunoglobulin ). Once symptoms appear, it’s too late.


Rabies vaccines are safe, but expensive for humans ( and not free on the NHS for travellers ) ; while they’re much cheaper for dogs. Making vaccines more affordable is one of the aims of the organizations trying to eliminate this terrible disease.


Because of widespread involvement of the nervous system, salivary glands and other organs, it becomes difficult to swallow ( hence hydrophobia ), despite being thirsty and producing much saliva ( foaming at the mouth ) ; with hyperactive excited behaviour, seizures, and perhaps also aerophobia ( fear of air draughts ).


Infected animals ( usually dogs ) also have hydrophobia, and hyperactivity - if they can be caught and impounded, they nearly always die within 15 days of becoming infective. If they’re still alive 15 days after a bite it’s unlikely they were infective when they bit. Don't assume because they have a " vaccination certificate " that they may not have rabies.


It’s vital to keep those countries, like the UK, rabies-free by public health measures, such as the " Pet Travel Scheme " which allows pet animals to enter such countries without quarantine so long as they have a licence confirming vaccination. This should also include a stricter licensing scheme for dog breeders. There’s concern that puppies are entering the UK from Eastern Europe, where rabies is still endemic, with fake paperwork and bogus health checks, then sold over the internet. This could put the country - virtually free of rabies for over a century - at risk of a epidemic.