In this research paper, I will be defining Rhabdovirus or also known as rabies, and how it is transferred from one being to another. I will also discuss its origin and how to cure the disease when a person is infected. In the body of the paper these following questions will be mentioned and answered; who gets infected with the virus, why is rabies more common in less developed 1 Rhabdovirus countries, and how can we protect ourselves against it. I will also talk about the ratio of death worldwide that was caused of this virus, and lastly I will mention the signs and symptoms of the Rhabdovirus/ rabies.
Rhabdovirus 2 Rhabdovirus Growing up in a developing country, stray dogs and cats are usually seen in the streets of the Philippines. That’s why it is quite common for people to get bitten and infected by Rhabdovirus. It is also called historically as “rabies”. On the other hand in the developing countries the idea of contracting rabies may seem farfetched. Which leads us to the following questions; what is rabies? Why is rabies more common in less developed countries? Who gets rabies? How can we protect ourselves against it?
Rhabdovirus is the “type species” of the Lyssavirus genus of Rhabdoviridae family. Rhabdovirus can affect domestic and wild animals, but is commonly carried by carnivores (Muhammad et al, 2012). Rabies is a very aggressive virus that is almost one hundred percent fatal when the symptom starts to manifest. Rabies can be found in six continents with the exception of Antarctica. Although it is present in such a wide area more than 90% of human fatalities and debilitating cases are recorded in less developed regions of Asia and Africa according to Tomas Stargardter.
(http://www. ndhealth. gov/disease/Rabies/QandA. htm). Rabies is a neglected disease that is rampant in poor and exposed populations. Although vaccinations against rabies were developed almost a century ago, its actual prevalence is still inaccurate due to under reporting of fatalities and failure to seek medical help. This is mainly because it mostly affects remote and small rural communities that lack information about the disease and the necessary measure to prevent animal to human transmission are not being utilized.
Although dogs account for a huge number of cases recent data shows that bats are the most common carriers in the Americas together with raccoons and skunks (http://www. cdc. gov/features/bats/). Everybody regardless of where a person lives could be infected by the virus that’s why necessary preventive actions should be taken in order to protect one’s self and the family against 3 Rhabdovirus it. Pet vaccination and being cautious around wild animals are among the top things one can do to prevent contracting rabies.
Rabies is a virus that many animals carry and it is important to know the symptoms and how to treat it. This virus can be transmitted through the exchange of blood and saliva from an infected animal. The most common animals that might have the virus are cats and dogs. There are varying signs and symptoms when infected with Rhabdovirus. The common signs and symptoms are fever, nausea, dizziness, tiredness, and itching at the site of the bite (http://www. ndhealth. gov/disease/Rabies/QandA. htm).
If an infected animal has bitten a person or another animal, the animal that has bit may change its behavior; they will not eat nor drink and sometimes act disoriented. Some animals die after this episode. Back in the day, when there are no medical experts, if someone get bitten by an animal, he or she usually use hot water and soap to clean the bitten spot. According to Blanton et al Every year, rabies kills more than 50,000 people worldwide and the costs associated with rabies are estimated to be more than $300 million in the US alone.
September 28 is the World Rabies day, it promotes rabies awareness and help people all over the world prevent and control rabies (http://www. cdc. gov/features/dsrabies/) Always be aware of the symptoms of this deadly virus disease. Once you get infected or an incident occurs that you get bit with an animal with rabies seek medical attention right away. Do not neglect this type of situation when it happens because it can be fatal. It is important to vaccinate your pets to protect them against life threatening viruses and diseases. References A. A. V. Albertini, G. Schoehn, W. Weissenhorn* and R. W. H. Ruigrok 4 Rhabdovirus Blanton et al.
Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2009. JAVMA, 2010; Vol. 237, No. 7. (www. cec. gov/features/dsrabies/– TheburdenofRabies/Features/CDC). Guo et al. Virology Journal 2014, 11:85 (http://www. virologyj. com/content/11/1/85) Muhammad et al, Muhammad Zubair Yousaf, Muhammad Qasim, Sadia Zia, Muti ur Rehman Khan, Usman Ali Ashfaq and Sanaullah Khan 2012 http://www. virologyj. com/content/9/1/50 Stargardter, Tomas (http://www. ndhealth. gov/disease/Rabies/QandA. htm (http://www. ndhealth. gov/disease/Rabies/QandA. htm).