The Unseen Peril: Exploring the Deadly Impact of Rabies in Humans

5 months ago

On the fateful night of July 27, 2020, a man experienced a chilling encounter that would turn his peaceful dwelling into a semi-horror scene. Awaking in the dark hours, he found a bat within the confines of his home. The eerie episode took a terrifying turn when the bat unleashed screeches and sank its teeth into the man's hand. What followed was the onset of symptoms that hinted at a disease notorious for its severity, and that disease is rabies.

When it comes to diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, Rabies hold a high position when it comes to severity of manifestation. From Foxes, Dogs, Bats, and to getting it from organ transplant, Rabies has found its way into the live of many, and it is not a joke, trust me when I say it.

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While it has a very severe manifestation, the chance of getting rabies is very slim, and that is good news if you are sincere but if it becomes symptomatic, you have a 99% chance of of dying but for me, I will say 100% chance of dying compared to even some viruses with severe manifestation such as Ebola, and Marburg virus which have about 50% death rate but when it is detected early enough immediately after bite or scratch from animals, it can be easily treated and manifestation of symptoms prevented.

Rabies kill thousands of people yearly around the world but it is very difficult to get the exact number as the WHO cannot get the full data of rabid death as many cases are unreported and can be blamed on something else. Rabies is common in Africa and Asia and the most common way of getting rabies is getting in contact with a Rabid dog but this is not limited to dogs alone, as cats, donkey, pig, horse, rabbit, goat, cattle, hyaena, honey badger, and other wild animals can give a person rabies.

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If you are going to avoid rabies, the first step is not to stroke, slap, or get close to stray dogs, since they are the most common animals for rabies. It is easy to know if a dog or any other animal has rabies as they show how they feel. The can be aggressive, and foamy in the mouth, but they can also be timid, move slowly, and in this period, the virus is in its incubation state. In human, the incubation phase can be between 2 weeks to 4 weeks, but can reach up to 1 year before symptoms begin to manifest. It depends on how close the bite is to the brain and the spinal cord.

When the virus reaches the nervous tissue. Rabies is usually spread through Saliva getting in contact with open surface, but there are cases where saliva can get in contact with open surfaces from scratch but this is extremely rare. Something as simple as a lick on your open wound can get the virus into your system and this can be very detrimental. Any rabid animal that bites you has furious rabies and at this time the animal is excited. The animal also suffer from dumb rabies and this animal will look sluggish and tired and they could die that way.

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Once bitten by a stray animal, immediate action involves washing the affected area with soap and water and promptly seeking medical attention for a rabies vaccine. The incubation period, ranging from 2 weeks to a year in humans, provides a window to counteract the virus with the vaccine. If the virus infiltrates the central nervous system, it can lead to an inflamed spinal cord and encephalitis, ultimately resulting in the patient's demise. Initial symptoms, starting with mild sensations like tingling, numbness, and itching, progress into aggression, hydrophobia, hallucinations, and aerophobia. Death often occurs due to cardio-respiratory arrest or paralytic rabies. Understanding the gravity of rabies underscores the importance of swift and decisive measures when faced with a potential exposure.