In summer, stray dogs, cats, and sometimes even wild hedgehogs and foxes appear on garden plots.
24 May 2019
Summer residents feed the animals, try to treat them if they notice signs of malaise. Experts warn: in no case should this be done. Why – explains our consultant, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology of the N.N. N.I. Pirogova, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation, Chief Infectionist of FMBA of Russia Vladimir Nikiforov.
“The animal can be infected with rabies. And the most famous signs of the disease – increased salivation, aggression or depression – do not always appear. Many symptoms become apparent several hours before the death of the carrier of the virus. At the same time, a dog can infect 10 days before the onset of signs of the disease, a fox – in a month. And the clinical picture may differ. One of the signs, hydrophobia (hydrophobia), is found only in humans. In animals, spasm and paralysis of the swallowing muscles develops at the last stage. Therefore, there are no XNUMX% danger signals, ”the expert says.
Rabies is an infectious disease that affects the brain. The work of its centers responsible for breathing and heartbeat is paralyzed. The virus is transmitted from the saliva of animals, but not only a bite can be the cause of infection. For example, a sick cat must lick its claws. Therefore, a scratch made by it is dangerous, because there is a virus on the claws. There is another point: the saliva of an infected animal can accidentally fall on the mucous membrane of a person’s eyes or a damaged area of the skin. This can also lead to infection.
The main carriers of the virus are not dogs and cats, but wild animals: foxes, hedgehogs. When they get sick, they enter summer cottages, villages and even cities. Their behavior often changes, forest dwellers are no longer afraid of humans. If you see a wild animal that has suddenly become tame, do not take it into the house, do not approach it, and even more so do not try to treat it.
You have a dog or a cat, vaccinate it once a year, vaccination is free of charge. A pet can become infected if attacked, for example, by a sick fox. While staying at the dacha, a similar situation is not excluded.
If an animal is bitten or scratched, immediately wash the wound with soap and water and rub with alcohol. After that, it is important to urgently go to the trauma center. Only vaccination can save you from rabies – six injections, you cannot interrupt the course. It is necessary to pass it as quickly as possible, until the moment when clinical signs of the disease appear. Later, the treatment will not work, the death of the infected patient is inevitable. Doctors can only alleviate his condition. The incubation period lasts from 10 days to several years.
About 50 thousand people with suspicion of rabies seek medical help every year. 90 percent of them are vaccinated.