Virus That Causes Rabies
Viruses cause the destruction of infected cells. Rabies is a virus that infects nerve cells. An infected person develops initial symptoms of rabies in days or weeks, as the virus travels from the site of the infection to the brain through the nerves. Once the in the brain, rabies causes mental disturbances and other severe complications. The disease is nearly 100 percent fatal when treatment is not immediate. In the United States, about one or two cases of fatal rabies are reported each year.
About Viruses
Although not alive, viruses have a way of spreading from host to host and multiplying. Viruses infect plants, animals, and even microbes. Once they infect a cell, viruses "hijack" the cell's mechanisms for their own replication. This results in the destruction of the host cell either by the viruses that make it burst of the immune system trying to fight the viruses inside the cell.
About the Nervous System
The nervous system in mammals consists of a network of cells called neurons that cover every part of the body. These neurons are connected to one another and deliver chemical and electrical impulses to muscles and other tissues. Think of neurons as the wiring that delivers information from the brain to the rest of the body.
About the Rabies Virus
The rabies virus likes to infect neurons. When a mammal is bitten by an animal with rabies, the virus travels from the saliva or the animal into the neurons of the bitten mammal. It then travels from neuron to neuron until it reaches the new host's brain. The virus is also shed in the blood, saliva, and other body fluids of infected mammals. Still, the major mode of transmission is a bite. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), only about one or two cases of human rabies occur each year.
Signs and Symptoms of Rabies
When a person is infected with rabies, he or she develops flu-like symptoms a few days to a few weeks after the infection. As the virus reaches the brain, other symptoms begin to occur. These include behavioral changes, anxiety, hallucinations, and insomnia. Some of those infected develop a fear of water. After six to 10 days, the infected person goes into a coma and death soon follows.
Treatment and Prevention of Rabies
While there is no known cure for rabies, a vaccine is available. The vaccine is usually given once a week for a month following an exposure to a rabid animal. When given timely and appropriately, the vaccine prevents the development of the disease nearly 100 percent of the time. However, without the vaccine, death results in nearly 100 percent of the cases. In fact, only six known cases of rabies have recuperated once the disease set in. The best way to avoid rabies is to avoid animals that are behaving abnormally and by keeping all house pets vaccinated against it.
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