Rabies is an infectious disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system and brain. Since it can be transmitted from animals to humans, it also falls into the category of zoonoses.
Unfortunately, once clinical signs appear, rabies is almost always fatal. It is therefore very important to protect yourself from it.
How is rabies transmitted?
The rabies virus is transmitted from mammal to mammal (including humans) through saliva, primarily through bites or contact with the virus through an open wound or mucous membrane.
How long is the incubation period of the disease?
How quickly a person develops symptoms depends on several factors: where the virus entered, how big the wound is, what layer the virus is in, etc.
Generally, the period between first contact with the virus and the appearance of symptoms varies between 2 and 8 weeks, both in humans and animals. Please note that the duration may be longer in some cases.
What are the main species carrying the rabies virus in Quebec?
Skunks, bats, foxes and raccoons can infect you or your pet, but any mammal can contract the virus and therefore transmit it.
What are the symptoms?
In an unvaccinated animal, the virus is carried by the nervous system to the brain, where it multiplies and then spreads throughout the body. The virus then eventually reaches the salivary glands where it is released into the saliva. At this stage, the brain is usually already damaged by the disease, causing a change in the animal's behaviour, either lethargy or abnormal aggression.
Other symptoms that may be seen in affected animals include: abnormal gait (ataxia) leading to paralysis, difficulty swallowing and, eventually, death.
In humans, the disease can cause several non-specific symptoms at first, including fever, headache or generalized pain. Subsequently, spasms and convulsions may appear.
Is there a treatment for rabies?
Unfortunately, no. Once symptoms appear, the disease is almost inevitably fatal, both to humans and animals. There are only a few documented cases of people surviving rabies worldwide.
Rabies can be prevented in humans by administering a series of vaccines immediately after exposure to an infected animal. However, it is not always easy to know if an animal has been in contact with the virus before it is too late and rabies can only be diagnosed in an animal after its death.
This is why up-to-date vaccination of domestic animals against rabies remains the best means of prevention and protection against the disease. Rabies vaccination is not just an animal health issue, it is a public health issue.
If you have any questions about rabies and its prevention, do not hesitate to contact a veterinarian.