Rabies: Rabies and Human Rabies Transmission Essay

Submitted By Danna-Wilson
Words: 432
Pages: 2

Rabies Disease The rabies virus is a preventable viral disease of mammals that is usually transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. Some of the symptoms include: insomnia, confusion, difficulty swallowing, excitation, agitation, and fear of water. It’s a deadly disease that infects the central nervous system and eventually causes disease in the brain. It can be spread to humans and there are currently rabies vaccines out available to the public. Bats, coyotes, raccoons, and skunks are the most likely animals to transmit this disease in developed countries while stray dogs in developing parts of Africa and Asia are most likely to transmit Rabies. Once signs of rabies develop, death is imminent if not given immediate attention. Human to human transmission hasn’t been recorded yet. In this day and age, bats are the most likely in America to cause rabies in others. Most medical websites say to always call for help if you see a bat in your house after waking up because it is most likely it has bitten you. Rabies has been known since 3500 B.C. and owners whose rabies infected dogs had bitten someone were heavily fined. It was considered a scourge in the 19th century because rabies had been spread so much. Also, before 1991. Ontario, Canada was considered the rabies capital of North America. Rabies has been known to show up in a lot of cultures. For example, in Stephen King’s Cujo, a mother and son are terrorized by a rabid dog. Quarantine, a US film, is about human to human rabies transmission and is often thought of as a “zombie” movie. The vaccine for rabies is often taken by those who are around rabid