World Rabies Day

In 2007, the Global Alliance to Control Rabies established World Rabies Day In this, the alliance received the support of a large number of health organizations The date was set for September 28 The goal of the alliance is to bring the problem of the spread of a deadly infection to the forefront By the way, it was on September 28 that Louis Pasteur, a famous microbiologist who put a lot of effort into the process of creating a vaccine against the disease, died, so they didn’t puzzle over the choice of date for a long time Every year, about 55 thousand people die from rabies around the world You can put it another way - this is 6 people per hour If we take all infectious diseases in general, then rabies has a special place, since the probability of death is very high First aid must be provided immediately after infection More than 150 countries are fighting the disease Thanks to the work of doctors, there are safe but effective drugs that inhibit the development of infection If immunization is given within a few hours after an animal bite, the likelihood of death will be significantly reduced More than 15 million people are vaccinated every year However, not many countries can afford it due to the fairly high cost It is a mistaken belief that you can only get infected from stray or wild animals Yes, the most common source of the disease are dogs, not so often - raccoons, foxes, and wolves But infection is also possible from cows, pigs, horses, bats, wild rats and even hedgehogs Domestic animals, in turn, are infected by sick wild animals And the animal does not necessarily have to be bitten; drooling will be quite enough The first and most striking symptom is attempts to attack and bite Bites to the head or neck are the most dangerous As the number of bites increases, the risk of infection increases From the moment of the bite to the onset of the first symptoms, it can take from 10 to 60 days The incubation period can last about a year That is why it is important to take preventive measures, because when the disease enters the active phase, it is not possible to save the patient The main symptoms of rabies: - increased body temperature; - the appearance of headaches; - impaired consciousness; - hydrophobia; - convulsions; - paralysis First aid to the victim: - disinfect the wound using a soap solution (reduces the amount of ingested virus); - treat the edges of the wound with 70% alcohol; - bandage the wound with a sterile bandage; Next, you must necessarily seek medical help and undergo a course of vaccination, which is provided to all citizens free of charge at trauma or surgical centers People with an increased risk of infection (for example, hunters) are recommended to undergo a course of vaccinations for the purpose of prevention It is also recommended to refrain from butchering carcasses or skinning animals; first, the carcass must be delivered to a veterinary laboratory and await test results Vaccination of dogs, especially those who take part in hunting, is necessary Otherwise, dogs should not be allowed to hunt wild animals Events are being planned around the world to mark the Day against a dangerous disease The essence of this holiday is that experts provide the public with information about the consequences of rabies in both humans and animals Despite the rapid progress of the disease, it is quite simple to prevent it, as well as completely destroy it To do this, it is necessary to combat rabies carriers - infected animals On this day, September 28, conferences are held everywhere and scientific symposia are held Charitable events raise funds for animal vaccinations