Rabies is a viral disease caused by the lyssavirus. Rabies is an acute and progressive encephalomyelitis disease caused by lyssavirus. This disease occurs as a worldwide in the animals including Dogs, Bats and Wild carnivores the principle reservoirs of the rabies disease. Main sign of this disease is change in behavior of dogs also included progressive paralysis. Rhabdo virus mainly cause the rabies in dogs.
Rabies is the zoonotic viral disease of the animals and is characterized by the excitement, paralysis, tremors and the death of the animals. Rabies virus which in neurotrophic in nature and it is excreted through saliva.
Dogs are the most important reservoir of the rabies disease.
There are the few countries that claims to be free of the disease. But there is only one method to protect your dog from rabies is vaccination against rabies virus.
Etiology / Reason / Epidemiology / Causes :
The main cause of this disease is the Rhabdovirus or Lyssaviruses. Lyssavirus belong to the family Rhabdovirus. There is the better examination of this virus under the microscopic test under the laboratory examination. Monocional antibody analysis or genetic sequence are helpful in understanding of the rabies virus identification.
Epidemiology : For the perspective of the epidemiology the name of the mammalian species acting as the reservoir and the vector is used as an adjective to describe the all the involvement in the infection process. Transmission of this virus done by the dog to dog transmission is termed as the canine rabies. Infected dog will transmit the virus to healthy dogs. Racoon or fox also the carriers of this virus. All these mammals are the carriers of the rabies virus.
Transmission And Pathogenesis : Rabies Virus
- Through biting.
- By licking.
Transmission of this virus is occur due to the infected dogs saliva. Transmission occur by the virus – laden saliva into the tissues, usually by the bite of the rabid animal. Saliva are the main cause of the transmission of this virus. There are many salivary glands and the saliva definitely cause the rabies in the dogs. There are many domestic dogs, cats and ferrets may shed virus up to the 10 days before the upcoming of the rabies virus symptoms.
The incubation period is both prolonged and variable. This virus remains at the inoculation site for the considerable time. Incubation period helps to explain the effective action of the local infiltrations of the rabies immune globulin during human postexposure prophylaxis. After exposure of the rabies virus in dogs develops within 21 – 80 days. Rabies virus travels via the peripheral nerves to the spinal cord and ascends to the brain. Virus is detectable in the brain and also this shed intermittently in saliva.
Aerosol transmission of rabies virus is no any danger cause of rabies virus.
Symptoms Or Clinical Signs Of Rabies Disease :
There are mainly three forms of the symptoms are present in rabies disease. There are few similar signs that occur in other diseases of dogs. Clinical signs include the most reliable signs that ae acute behavioral change and unexplained progressive paralysis.
Three form of symptoms are :
1. Prodromal Form :
- Change In Behavior.
- Ignorance of the owner.
- Anorexia ( Loss of appetite ).
- Biting of flies.
- Irritation in body.
2. Furious Form :
- Excitement.
- Out of control.
- Pupil Dilate.
- Excessive salivation.
- Temperature normal.
- Aggression.
- Mad dog syndrome.
- Paralysis is rare.
- Anxiety.
- Attacking other animals.
- Swallow foreign objects ( feces, straw, sticks and stones ).
- Chew the wire and frame of cages.
- Muscular incoordination and seizures.
- Death due to progressive paralysis.
3. Paralytic Form / Dumb Form :
- Excessive salivation.
- Paralysis of the lower jaw, pharynx and larynx.
- Ataxia ( poor muscle control ).
- Inability to swallow.
- Dropping of lower jaw.
- Death may occur in few hours.
Diagnosis of Rabies In Dogs :
There are many diagnosis point of the rabies. Diagnosis may definitely show the proper diagnosis of the rabies in dogs. Rabies is the viral disease that mostly occur in the dogs and other animals. There are few rabies diagnosis points are :
- By history of dog bites.
- By symptoms death with in 7 – 10 days, continuous bellowing frequent urination etc.
- Post Mortem examination Lesion – Intracytoplasmic bodies and these bodies are known as Negri bodies in brain.
- Immunofluorescence microscopy on the fresh brain tissue is the test of choice.
- Laboratory confirmation helpful in diagnosis of rabies.
Rabies virus diagnosis should only be done by a qualified laboratory. If any suspect animal is euthanized and the brain is removed as the preferred organ for the testing. Brain tissue examined must include the medulla oblongata and cerebellum and also should be preserved by the refrigeration with the wet ice or cold packs. Virus isolation by many tissue techniques using the mouse neuroblastoma cells may be used for the confirmation of the rabies intermediate fluorescent antibody results.
The world health organization recommends methods for the detection of virus antigens, amplicons and antibodies.
Prevention And Control :
- Vaccination and the registration of dogs with the control of the stray populations. Vaccination of the rabies is the best way to control the rabies in dogs.
- If any rabid dog suspected then the dog euthanized is compulsory.
Control tips for the Rabies :
- If any suspected cases then euthanasia of dogs with clinical signs and the dogs bitten by a suspected rabid animals. Euthanasia is compulsory for the rabid dogs because it will be easily transmit to healthy animals due to saliva.
- Susceptible dogs may be segregate.
- Continuing vaccination of young dogs.
- Stray dogs control and the euthanasia of the unvaccinated dogs if rabies can be identified.
- Dog registration.
Rabies is the highest case fatality of any infectious disease.
Key Points Of Rabies :
Rabies is an acute, progressive, incurable viral encephalitis. Highest case of the fatality of any infectious disease. This is the zoonotic disease that is transmittable to human also.
Rabies virus is caused by the Rhabdo virus family or Lyssavirus. Dog vaccination is the single most useful and the cost – effective measure for the modern rabies prevention and the control.
Vaccination is the important key point of the rabies disease in dogs.
Infected dogs may be prevented by the proper wound care, infiltration of all the bite sites with rabies immune globulin and the administration of the several doses of the human rabies vaccine.
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