Rabies is a viral infection of the brain and nervous system. Generally, the virus that causes rabies is transmitted to humans through animal bites. Rabies is classified as a dangerous disease because of the risk of causing death if not treated quickly.
In Indonesia, rabies or known as "mad dog disease" is still a disease that threatens public health. Based on 2020 data, there are 26 of 34 provinces in Indonesia that are not free from rabies, with more than 100 deaths per year.
Causes of Rabies
Rabies is caused by a virus that is generally transmitted from dogs through bites, scratches, or saliva. Apart from dogs, animals that can also carry the rabies virus and transmit it to humans include monkeys, cats, civets, and rabbits.
In rare cases, transmission of the rabies virus can also occur from human to human, through organ transplantation.
Symptoms of Rabies
Symptoms of rabies usually appear 30–90 days after the patient has been bitten by an infected animal. This can make diagnosing rabies a little difficult, as sufferers may forget they have been bitten or scratched by a rabid animal.
Early symptoms that may appear include:
- Fever
- Tingling in the bite wound
- Headache
In addition to the above complaints, there are several further symptoms that can be experienced by people with rabies, such as muscle cramps, shortness of breath, and hallucinations. These continued symptoms are a sign that the patient's condition is getting worse.
Rabies Treatment
Rabies needs to be treated as soon as exposure occurs, even if symptoms have not yet appeared. Treatment of rabies is to clean the wound and give serum and rabies vaccine. The goal is to help the immune system fight the rabies virus, so infection and inflammation of the brain can be prevented.
However, if the virus has infected the brain, treatment will be difficult because there is no known really effective method to deal with it.