Rabies

Rabies

Rabies, also known as hydrophobia, is a fatal disease spread by the bite of an infected animal. Because the disease has a long incubation period, post-exposure prophylaxis is an option.

We can take care of patients with the help of rabies vaccines in the following ways:

1. Cell- culture vaccine
   • Human diploid cell (HDC) vaccines.
   • Purified chick embryo cell (PCEC) vaccines.
2. Duck embryo vaccine(DEV)
3. Older conventional, nervous tissue vaccine (NTV)

These vaccines are recommended as subcutaneous or intramuscular injections on 0,3,7,14 and 30 days for 5 doses and a booster dose on 90days. This old anti- rabies vaccine is administered in a dose of 1 or 2 ml for 14days over an abdominal wall or as prescribed depending upon the severity of bite exposure.

Apart from vaccination, following are the measures that need to be followed if someone is bitten by or is doubted to be bitten by animals with rabies symptoms:

1. Clean wound with plain water.
2. And apply some antiseptic solution.
3. Cover with clean cloth
4. Advice to tetanus injection prevention for the rabies virus.