Rabies
By Chris Cetta
Description
Rabies is a deadly disease caused by an infected animal's bites and invades the nervous system, especially the brain.
Causes
The following animals can transmit rabies: cats, cows, dogs, ferrets, goats, horses, bats, beavers, coyotes, foxes, monkeys, raccoons, skunks, and woodchucks. And on very rare occasions, through an organ transplant.
Symptoms
The most common rabies symptoms are drooling, convulsions, exaggerated sensation at the sight of the bite, excitability, muscle spasms, fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, agitation, anxiety, confusion, hyperactivity, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, hydrophobia, hallucinations, insomnia, and partial paralysis.
Risk factors
Some risk factors include: Traveling where rabies is common, exploring caves with bats, camping in the wilderness, and working in a laboratory with the virus.
Tests
If the you think or know that you've been bitten by an animal, contact your doctor so you can get a vaccine. If the animal that bit you is dead, a test will be run called immunofluorescence, which is a test on their brain to see if they have rabies. Next a doctor will clean the bite. If you have rabies, you will get a vaccine to stop it from becoming deadly.
Vaccine (Pump It Up)
The vaccine is given to people with a high risk. The vaccine is made from dead rabies viruses but cannot cause rabies. There are some risks to the vaccine, such as, mild allergic reactions and moderate allergic reactions. Mild reactions include, soreness, redness, and itching. Moderate reactions include, hives, pain in the joints, and low fevers (104°F or below).
Bibliography
Works Cited
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Rabies Vaccine. Digital Image. Examiner. Omaha Vaccine Company. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.
"Rabies Virus," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2000