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FREQUENTYLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON RABIES

.: Is an Increase incidence of rabies related to El Niño?

Rabies is a disease caused by a virus, transmitted through bite by an infected animal. Rabies both in humans and animals does not in any way follow a seasonal pattern.

.: Do all persons bitten by proven rabid dogs develop rabies?

Not all persons bitten by rabid dogs develop rabies. This could be explained by any of the following: There was no virus in the saliva of the rabid dog at the time of the bite; there was protective covering at the site of bite; and the wound was immediately washed with soap and water.

.: Is it true that a dog which is rabid dies only after it has bitten a person?

Whether the dog has bitten a person or not, dog dies within 2-7 days if it is sick of rabies. Unprovoked bite is one of the signs that the dog is rabid.

.: Is rabies curable?

No. Once signs of brain involvement are manifested, the rabies victim dies within 1-3 days. The giving of anti-rabies immunization will no longer be of help.

.: Is rabies preventable?

Yes. By administering vaccine and immunoglobin at the right time to an animal bite victim, rabies can be prevented. One important measure that will be of big help in reducing the risk of getting rabies is by immediate washing of the bite wound with soap and running water.

.: If bitten by a stray animal, what should be properly done?

Immediately wash the bite wound with soap and running water, preferably for at least ten minutes.

Consult a physician or your nearest Animal Bite Center for Immunization.

.: If bitten by apparently healthy dog or cat, what should be done?

Immediately wash the wound with soap and running water. If the wound is in the head or neck, deep or multiple, consult your physician or your nearest Animal Bite Center for possible immunization. However, treatment may be deferred if the animal remains to be alive for 14 days.

If the bite wound is a scratch, abrasion, single, superficial or the dog licked an open wound, treatment may be deferred and the dog is observed for signs of rabies. If the animal manifests signs suggestive of rabies or dies within the 14 days observation period, the patient should seek treatment against rabies immediately.

.: Do we need to kill the dog immediately?

If the dog is apparently healthy, it should not be killed immediately and should instead be kept for observation for 14 days. If it remains to be alive, it means that the dog is not rabid.

If the dog is killed prematurely before signs of rabies are manifested, and its head is submitted for laboratory examination, the result of the examination will most likely turn out to be negative since the “Negri bodies” have not yet developed in the brain to give a positive result. “Negri bodies “are microscopic findings in the brain of a rabid animal or person due to the inflammatory brain cells due to the rabies virus.

.: What is the difference between the observation period and the incubation period?

The observation period is the time that the dog or cat is observed for signs of rabies. The observation period for dogs and cats is usually for 14 days starting from the day the animal has bitten a person. Studies have shown that a dog or cat which is rabid at athe time of bite usually dies within the 14 days. If it remains to be alive within that period, it means that it is not rabid and will not transmit the virus to a person. Thus, the bitten person does not need to be immunized against rabies.

The incubation period of rabies in humans is the period from the day the person is bitten to the day when first signs and symptoms of rabies are manifested. The average incubation period is 20-90 days. The nearer the bites site to the brain or the more the bite wounds, the shorter is the incubation period.

.: Is tandok effective in the prevention of rabies?

Tandok is a folk medicine done by inserting a horn thru a slit made into the wound. This is believed to suck out the rabies virus. Records have shown that patients who received tandok treatment died either of rabies or tetanus which only means that tandok is not an effective treatment.

Those patients who did not develop rabies after tandok application it might be because their biting animals were not rabid.

.: Is rubbing the bite wound with garlic and vinegar useful in the prevention of rabies?

Garlic and vinegar need not be applied on the bite wound for they will cause major injury (swelling, irritation, and further introducing dirt into the wound). By washing the wound immediately with soap and running water, the risk of rabies infection will be greatly reduced.

.: Does a person bitten by another person need to be given anti-rabies immunization?

Rabies is not inherent to humans. A person develops the disease only when he is exposed to an animal or person with rabies. Individuals bitten by a non-rabid individual does not need to be given anti-rabies immunization.

.: How is local wound treatment done?

The wound should be immediately washed with soap and running water, preferably for 10 minutes. Antiseptics such as providone iodine or alcohol may be applied. The patient may be given antibiotics and anti-tetanus immunization, if indicated for free full course of rabies immunization. (Complete post exposure dose regimen as scheduled)

.: What is rabies post-treatment?

Post-exposure treatment is given to persons who are exposed to rabid animals. It consists of local wound treatment, active immunization (vaccination) and passive immunization (administration of rabies immunoglobulin).

.: What is active and passive immunization?

Active immunization or vaccination aims to induce the body to develop antibodies against rabies whose affect lasts for 1-3 years.

Passive immunization is the process of giving an antibody to persons with category III exposure (head and neck bites, multiple/single deep bites, contamination of mucous membranes or thin coverings of the eyes, lips, mouth) in order to provide immediate protection against rabies which should be administered within the first seven days of active immunization. The effect of the immunoglobulin is only short term.

.: Where should a bite victim go for post-exposure treatment against rabies?

A bite victim should go to the Animal Bite Center where is further evaluated to determine whether or not he should be given post-exposure treatment. Victims with Category III bite exposure to rabid animals are priority beneficiaries for free full course of rabies immunization.

Source: National Rabies Prevention and Control Committee