Rabies found in cattle.

Rabies found in cattle in 3 states Minnesota and Texas have reported one case each of rabies in cattle this year, and Oklahoma has reported two.

Veterinarians do not recommend vaccinating all cattle for rabies, but Oklahoma State University Extension veterinarian Barry Whitworth says dairy cows, show animals, horses and other animals with regular human contact should be vaccinated. Full Story: Bovine Veterinarian

Shorter rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) schedule safe and effective.

Shorter rabies PrEP schedule safe and effective. In healthy participants, intradermal administration of a double dose of rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, given during two clinic visits was safe and noninferior to a standard three-visit schedule, according to recent data. Given the efficacy of the shortened schedule, which may result in wider acceptance, Patrick Soentjens, MD, PhD, head of the travel clinic at Queen Astrid Military Hospital’s center for infectious diseases in Brussels, and colleagues said intradermal (ID) administration of a two-dose, two-visit PrEP regimen is now one of the first-line schedules recommended by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization for international travelers and individuals at risk for rabies in endemic countries. “Rabies represents an unremitting and neglected global challenge. As such, new shortened ID schedules aim to be cost-, dose- and time-sparing, while maintaining safety and effectiveness,” the researchers wrote in Clinical Infectious Diseases. “Shortened PrEP ID schedules, using simpler low-dose vaccine regimens, can be considered an illustration that less can be more.”

VETERINARY MEDICINE : Not just bite, dog’s scratch too causes rabies.

VETERINARY MEDICINE : Not just bite, dog’s scratch too causes rabies. 

 Fifty-year-old Savita (not her real name) was brought to rural doctor Himmat Bawaskar's hospital in Mahad on a May afternoon with an undiagnosed condition, but the diagnosis became obvious when the doctor mentioned 'pani' (water). 

 Savita severely choked just as patients with rabies do on developing its well documented symptom - hydrophobia (fear of water). 

 "She was brought to us on the fourth day of fever, body ache and breathlessness. She heard 'water' and got a laryngeal (vocal cord) spasm," said Dr Bawaskar. Soon, doctors noticed another rabies symptom -extreme sensitivity to light.  : 

Not just bite, dog’s scratch too causes rabies. Dr Bawaskar, who is credited with several researches on snake and scorpion venom, has written about Savita's case in the latest edition of the Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine to highlight poor awareness and dangerous societal practices vis-a-vis rabies. 

"People in rural areas go to tantriks after a dog-bite though the vaccine and immunoglobulin shots are available at government centres," said the doctor. 

 Savita died after four days at the Mahad hospital, managing to relate how a rabid dog in her village had bitten four people before tugging at her saree 'pallu'. She got a few abrasions on her feet. 

 According to the medical journal, Savita washed the wound and didn't bother about a vaccine as she felt only dog bites cause rabies. She only took herbal medicine from a tantrik.

 Dr Bawaskar, who has been in the news for filing a case against a diagnostic chain for offering him a cutback for referring a patient for a CT scan, said Savita must have got infected as dogs' nails and claws too harbour the virus as they keep licking them. 

"This case busts the myth that cuts don't result in rabies," he said. Vaccine is advised for any cut where blood flows out. #rabies #bites #cuts #vaccination.#travel

The new canine rabies research: One vaccine to save them all.

The new canine rabies research: One vaccine to save them all.A new study finds that rabies vaccines may have a protective effect beyond just the dreaded deadly virus in dogs. Canine rabies is common in many parts of the world. In Asia and Africa, rabies from dog bites kills more than 50,000 people each year. Large international efforts are dedicated to this public health crisis, including mass rabies vaccination of dogs. A recent publication suggests the canine rabies vaccine may have additional benefits to dog health beyond protection from rabies. That’s right—vaccinate for rabies, get rabies protection PLUS additional dog health benefits.

The study followed 2,500 households in South Africa over four years and found that dogs vaccinated for rabies had a reduced risk of canine death from any cause as compared to dogs not vaccinated for rabies. The greatest reduction was noted in very young dogs with a 56% reduced risk of death. This decrease in canine mortality was not explained by a reduction in deaths due to rabies alone. The researchers proposed that rabies vaccination boosted the immune system and may have provided enhanced defense against other diseases unrelated to rabies. Previous studies have similarly identified this nonspecific protective effect by rabies vaccination in children and animals, providing further support for the research team’s current findings.

Hungry kids treated for rabies after digging up dog corpses to eat.

Starving youngsters dug up bodies with their bare hands and ate them with rice.

DESPERATE children are being treated for rabies after digging up the corpses of dead dogs and EATING them.

The group of 13 starving kids clawed with their bare hands to get at the rotting animals, who had been put down after being suspected of carrying the disease. 

 They set up a camp fire to cook the corpses and ate them with rice in the poverty stricken Mukdaharn region of north-east Thailand.They quickly fell ill and were rushed to hospital after locals spotted what they were eating. Animal welfare worker Chon Chaiprasit said: ”It’s a terrible situation. Nobody would have expected the youngsters to eat the dead animals. ”The dogs had rabies so they are currently having vaccinations.

”Dog meat is commonly eaten in poorer rural regions of south-east Asia.It is common for dogs to be farmed for food and even skinned alive in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. On Monday dogs were rounded up and beheaded after reports they were rabidly biting each other. 

 While their heads were taken for testing, their bodies were buried in woodland in Khok Sung.Hours later the group of starving children dug up the corpses.Tests on the animals confirmed they had rabies, sparking fears the children would be infected. They were given emergency vaccines while vets set out to give jabs to stray dogs within a two-mile radius in an attempt to avoid the disease spreading. 

Chon added: “There hasn’t been any explanation yet as to why the youngsters ate the dogs but we believe it is because they were hungry and needed food. “They are being treated and we are working hard to contain the outbreak.” Village elder Withaya Thongmaha, 53, said: “Lots of dogs were biting each other and we worried they may have rabies so we called for help.“I heard that at least ten youths had dug up the corpses and eaten the dogs for food.” more

Woman loses son and home to rabies.

A woman is in a big dilemma after her marriage crashed because of the death of her son due to bite from rabid dog. Patience Odukomaiya she lost her son who was bitten by a dog that had rabies, and then she was sent packing from her matrimonial home. 

 She narrated how she lost her five-year-old boy, Jomiloju, to untimely death from a dog bite. “I have lost everything. Why me, why has this happened to me?” she lamented. Looking lost and confused, Patience recalled that on August 8, 2016, the young boy had asked her for money to buy biscuits. When he asked for money to buy biscuit, initially I did not give it a thought, but when he said that if it were to be his father he asked, he would have given him the money, I was compelled to give him N20,” she recalled. She said his brother offered to accompany him to buy the biscuit in the next building inside the estate but Jomiloju declined. As it was not his first time of going to buy it himself, she let him go alone. 

 Patience said that their house is just outside Rufus Olaniyan Estate where they normally buy things. He had already purchased the biscuits and was on his way back home when he was attacked by dogs belonging to one Mr. Rufus Olaniyan. Jomiloju's clothes were torn as he was bitten by one of the dogs good Samaritans followed him home and told the mum that the dog of Mr. Rufus Olaniyan had bitten him. 

 The boy was crying and the spot of the bite was gushing blood,the mother took him to New Life Hospital in Ajegunle area of Ikorodu where the wound was cleaned and he was given an injection. They told us that the treatment will last for three days and which the mother complied. Patience said that after the treatment the boy was okay and she though it was all over. But three weeks later, the boy began to feel feverish and was running high temperature.Until this time, she said had actually forgotten about the dog bite incident and her belief was that the boy had developed malaria. She bought an antimalarial drug for him, but when he was not responding , took him to 

Randle General Hospital in Surulere where it was confirmed that has  rabies as a result of dog bite. They were referred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Idi-Araba, where he was treated before he died. 

 The husband though from Ogun state but works in Ibadan,usually check in to Lagos on weekends to be with his family.When the incidence occurred, the wife was always updating the husband but matters took a nose-dive at the death of the son. 

 When Jomiloju died on 18/9/16 Patience was really downcast, the news also did not go down well with her husband who heaped blame on her. He was quite upset and told her to pack her belongings and leave his house.The husband and his relatives came to Lagos, took away her first son and left the little girl she is nursing. More

Rabies detected in a chicken in India.

All mammals are susceptible to rabies. Raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats, dogs, coyotes and cats are the likely suspects. Animals like otters and ferrets are also high risk. 

Mammals like rabbits, squirrels, rodents and opossums are rarely infected and no mention of birds until recently. Indian researchers have reported the first case of rabies in a domestic fowl, a chicken, in the country, according to a study published in the journal, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

The chicken (Gallus domesticus), was bitten by a stray dog and died a month later. It’s carcass was sent to the rabies diagnostic laboratory. The brain tissue was positive for rabies viral antigens by fluorescent antibody test (FAT) confirming a diagnosis of rabies. Additional analysis revealed that the rabies virus strain from the domestic fowl belonged to a distinct and relatively rare Indian subcontinent lineage. 

 The authors say the significance of this finding indicates that spill over of infection even to an unusual host is possible in highly endemic areas. In addition, butchering and handling of rabies virus- infected poultry may pose a potential exposure risk. 

 Researchers conclude the present report indicates that rabies is a disease that can affect birds. Lack of obvious clinical signs and fewer opportunities for diagnostic laboratory testing of suspected rabies in a bird, may be the reason for the disease in these species being undiagnosed and probably underestimated.continue

World rabies day in Lagos.

The world rabies day celebrated on the 28/September every year, this year's celebration was marked with public lectures, free vaccination exercises and awareness campaign around the state. The event this year was different because of the collaboration with medical officers from hospitals and primary health centers ,school children and youth corp members. 

 The participation of various local government officials,environmental health workers and various local council development areas,emphasized the importance of awareness campaign from bottom up. The day marked with lectures by some veterinarians and medical officers and free vaccination is shown in pics below;

The rabies scourge, action plan.

Rabies scourge: Health ministry to vaccinate dogs across Ghana. In commemorating the world rabies day ,Health minister Alex Segbefia says his ministry will begin a nationwide vaccination of dogs against rabies. The ministry is preparing to roll out the programme in 2017 when it would have submitted a vaccination budget to the Finance ministry. The one world one health approach to eliminate the scourge of rabies is a great idea.

The fact that children are often victims of these scourge makes it even more important to forge an alliance to stop the virus. Dogs are the source of the vast majority of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans mostly in Asia and Africa. At least 40% of people who are bitten by suspect rabid animals are children under 15 years. 

The vaccination of dogs,cats and monkeys is a vital key to stop the scourge of the rabies virus,every responsible pet owner should vaccinate their pets against rabies. The annual vaccination of pets against rabies will prevent this threat to life of man and other animals which might act as carriers of the virus and further propagate the virus. 

Prevention by vaccination is much better and cheaper as lives will be saved because there is no cure for the disease. The war on rabies in Ghana is through a two pronged approach according to the health minister ;One is to increase the availability of vaccines to cure infected humans. 

The ministry has therefore ordered a new batch of vaccines .2) In a more pro-active approach to tackle rabies, the minister said “you must actually just vaccinate the dogs”. He said the ministry will go round region by region, identify and vaccinate dogs against rabies.He also said there is the need for a sensitization for dog-owners to tag their pets.  

 In Nigeria,the scourge can be prevented by education,mass vaccination of dogs and provision of affordable human diploid anti rabies vaccine.

 The enforcement of stray dog laws and dog licensing with tags will go a long way to check the scourge of the rabies virus. Pet owners should be held accountable for the health status of their pets,and must show documentation as regarding vaccination status. 

 Empowerment of animal control officers, especially at local government levels will help eliminate the scourge. 

The generation of adequate data as regarding number of dog per zone/local government/state will give a clear picture of our pet population, the area of concentration /major foci of these pets which will  assist in proper planning for budgeting for vaccination programmes. more #rabies #endrabies #savechildren #vaccinate #pets.

Rabies: A case of dog bite .

Rabies a deadly but preventable disease is a menace that our society has to eliminate and put steps in place to eradicate the virus completely. Rabies usually affect warm blooded animals such as dogs,cats,monkeys,raccoons,skunks,bats ,horses and cattle. The virus usually transferred through bites from an infected animal, various species have been linked to the transmission of virus with variations from country to country. 

The sylvatic cycle of the virus in the wild is actually what is propagating the virus in urban areas.The issue of interaction between wild and domesticated animals usually with stray dogs and cats as the major carriers of the virus is an identified route of infection. Pet importation has also opened up another route of possible transmission of the virus, pets should be quarantined and all records verified before allowing them in the country. 

The issue of stray dogs and cats is a risk factor here in Nigeria, most rabies cases in man have been traced to bites from strays mostly affecting children below 15 years of age. A recent case of a young boy bitten by a stray dog typifies what happens in most situations; Boy bitten by dog, the parents did not notify any hospital or health center.

 The boy started exhibiting signs of rabies such as hydrophobia,biting and licking body like a dog,signs of madness and in this state also bit the mother while trying to restrain the child. The boy was taken to the hospital at this stage,but it was too late for any intervention. The mother though bitten did not think anything of the incident until the child died when some questions were poised to her, now she is undergoing treatment also her baby as she is nursing currently.

 A simple washing  of the bite wound with soap and a lot of water before seeking medical care, would have saved the boy's life. The fight against rabies is not a one-man- show all hands must be on deck to support the movement. 

There are key steps to take to achieve a rabies free status; 1) Education about rabies and steps to take when bitten especially at the rural level. 2) Enforcing the laws on stray dogs and other animals. 3)Mass vaccination campaign with free vaccination for pets. 4) Provision of the human diploid vaccines in hospitals,primary health centers and mobile clinics at affordable rates to encourage people to seek medical attention when bitten by dogs,cats and monkeys. Rabies is preventable ,see how to stay safe with animals. Play this game

Veterinary medicine: Eliminating rabies with mobile apps.

A study has shown that rabies could be eliminated with the use of a mobile app,the study was published in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases. This study shows that mobile technology can help to monitor the efforts of large scale vaccination of free roaming dogs in real time thus allowing the identification of areas where vaccination needs to be increased to meet the 70 per cent threshold and cut the risk of the disease being passed to people.

 Researchers are using the app to track free-roaming dogs that have been vaccinated against rabies. Monitoring them in this way has enabled vets to vaccinate 70 per cent of the dog population in the City of Ranchi -- the threshold needed to minimize the risk that the disease is passed to people. 

 Rabies is a global problem that leads to the suffering and premature deaths of over 50,000 people and many times more dogs each year. 

 The disease has been eliminated from many countries through mass vaccination of the dog population. However, rabies elimination remains challenging in countries where the majority of dogs are allowed to roam freely.

Previous research has shown that vaccinating just 70 per cent of the dog population is enough to cut the risk of rabies infections in people. Teams vaccinated more than 6000 dogs in 18 districts of the city of Ranchi, India. They surveyed the number of marked, vaccinated and unmarked, unvaccinated dogs to monitor the proportion of animals that had received the vaccine. 

 The smartphone app called the Mission Rabies app was developed for researchers to instantly upload information about the animals vaccinated, including their exact location. In areas where coverage fell below 70 per cent, catching teams were re-deployed to vaccinate more dogs until the target was achieved.

The economic impact of rabies.

A global study on canine rabies has found that 160 people die every single day from the disease. The report is the first study to consider the impact in terms of deaths and the economic costs of rabies across all countries. Even though the disease is preventable, the study says that around 59,000 people die every year of rabies transmitted by dog and the disease costs global economies $8.6 billion US. 

 The multi-author study, by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control's Partners for Rabies Prevention Group, also shows that annual economic losses because of the disease are around 8.6 billion US dollars, mostly due to premature deaths, but also because of spending on human vaccines, lost income for victims of animal bites and other costs. 

 The study led by Dr Katie Hampson of the University of Glasgow, the study is the first to estimate the impact of canine rabies and the extent of control efforts in every country in the world. Rabies is close to 100% fatal, but it is also almost 100% preventable, and the best, most cost-effective way of preventing canine rabies is by vaccinating dogs. 

This needs to be supplemented by improving access to human vaccines. The One Health approach to eliminating rabies deaths, with collaboration between the human and animal health sectors, can save many lives and significantly reduce the burden on vulnerable economies. Indeed, the countries that have invested most in dog vaccination are the ones where human deaths from the disease have been virtually eliminated. The scope of the data used were from surveillance reports, epidemiological study data and global vaccine sales figures. 

This scope is far greater than ever analysed before, thus allowing fora more detailed result.The study also emphasizes that reporting systems are fundamental to rabies elimination, to monitor and assess the success of prevention efforts. 

 The study shows that the greatest risk of canine rabies is in the poorest countries; the death rate (deaths / 100,000 people) is highest in countries in sub-Saharan Africa, while India has the highest number of fatalities, with over 20,000 human deaths annually. The proportion of dogs vaccinated is far below that necessary to control the disease across almost all countries of Africa and Asia.

Mobile veterinary services: the Uber vets.

Mobile veterinary services is an investment opportunity that is relatively "untapped" in developing countries,but already shaping the health curve of pets in developed countries. The potential of this service can be tapped into at various points; 1)the service could be dedicated to just routine treatments/checkup ,2)vaccinations 3) grooming parlor 4)surgery 5) wellness 6)diagnostics and 7) type of practice,maybe large animals or small animals. 

 The advantage of this is the access to veterinary services in remote areas and also to those who are too busy to get their pets regularly. The mobile train will move from district to district,zone to zones and coast to coast. 

The growing population of those with livestock and pets without adequate veterinary care is alarming and unless a system is worked out,the incidence of diseases will increase. When livestock is not monitored or treated we run a risk of not only diseases but also economic losses as the potential of such flock cannot be realized. see 

 This is how a veterinarian is using this mobile service, Dr Fletcher operates the wellness on wheelz. Wellness on Wheelz’s numerous trucks travel all around South Texas, making rounds from San Antonio to Rio Grande City every weekend. The Rio Grande Valley’s local truck visited McAllen on Saturday for the second time this month, treating about 100 pets. 

 Dogs and cats of all breeds and ages panted around their owners in the hot Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market parking lot, waiting their turn. Meanwhile Dr. Kenneth C. Fletcher, the truck’s veterinarian, administered shot after shot. “One of the things we like the public to understand before they get here is that we’re not here to treat any illness or condition,” he said during a brief break. “We’re just for wellness, primary care, vaccination. And we do limited testing, like testing for heartworms. That can save a dog’s life.” Many of the services offered by Wellness on Wheelz are intended to keep a pet on track to a healthy life. 

De-worming and rabies vaccines are among those medications, while rattlesnake vaccines and microchips are offered as well. Something that Fletcher said is unique to the mobile vet business is “Zeutering,” in which male dogs are sterilized with an injection instead of surgery.“That’s one of the services we offer, too, that you can’t find anywhere, actually,” he said. “You’ve got to come here.” Affordability and access are two big reasons for the creation of the mobile service, Fletcher said.“It’s very convenient and inexpensive because there’s no examination fee,” he said. “It’s much faster and better customer service, actually.”more

Baby Born To Mother With Fatal Rabies Survives Without Infection.

This April in the Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, Chinese doctors reported an extremely rare case of rabies — one that ended with a remarkable, if bitter-sweet, story of survival. In May 2013, a 25-year-old woman living in a rural region of the Henan Province was bitten by a dog she didn’t know was rabid while she was four months pregnant. Although the bite was quickly treated by her local village clinic, the woman never received the vaccine needed to prevent rabies and eventually developed symptoms right as she entered labor. Two days after she successfully delivered her child via cesarean section, she died from the viral disease. Somehow though, her newborn son made it through without having caught the infection, as did her husband. The doctors couldn’t be certain how the baby escaped transmission, but they theorized that the mother’s placenta may have played a protective role. Though there was ample opportunity for the virus to spread to the child during her final moments of labor, it’s possible it hadn’t spread widely enough throughout the mother’s bloodstream for that to happen. The son and husband were also given a preventative rabies shot following her death, another possible factor. In China, it’s thought that dogs attack hundreds of pregnant women annually. And while most receive a rabies shot afterwards, the vaccine is oftentimes too expensive a precaution for those living in less developed areas. Indeed, it’s the poorest people who make up the majority of deaths caused by rabies; a toll that reaches in the tens of thousands globally every year. According to the authors, there have only been six other documented cases of a pregnant woman with full blown rabies delivering a baby, with five out of six newborns surviving. As with the current case, the mothers themselves weren’t so lucky. However rare they are, preventing these needless tragedies will require the same sort of dedicated public health measures seen elsewhere, like widespread dog vaccinations and monitoring centers in areas where rabies is known to exist, the authors wrote. Previous successful experiences suggest that it is possible to fight the disease by means of virus control and prevention. Source: Qu Z-Y, Li G-W, Chen Q-C, et al. Survival of a newborn from a pregnant woman with rabies infection. BMC Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases. 2016.

RABIES IN A HORSE IN SANTA CRUZ.

The Arizona Department of Agriculture said a horse in Santa Cruz County has become the state's first case of rabies in a domesticated animal in nearly seven years. The horse, whose owner lives in the Nogales area, was hospitalized but did not respond to treatment, according to a news release. The horse was later euthanized, state agriculture officials said. Rabies among domestic animals is extremely rare, with this being the first case in almost seven years, we are reminded of the importance of keeping our animals' vaccinations current," said Dr. Susan Gale, the acting state veterinarian. Rabies is a virus that attacks the nervous system of mammals, causing erratic behavior and eventually death, according to the Centers for Disease Control . Rabies is most often found in wild animals, including bats, skunks and foxes. The state Department of Agriculture urges livestock, horse and pet owners to speak with their veterinarian about how to protect their animals. Read more http://www.abc15.com/news/state/santa-cruz-horse-is-first-arizona-domestic-animal-rabies-case-in-nearly-seven-years

RABIES SURVIVOR GETS TWINS!!!.

The first person to survive rabies without being vaccinated is now a new mom of twins. Jeanna Giese-Frassetto gave birth to fraternal twins, Carly Ann Frassetto and Connor Primo Frassetto, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, March 26. "Our family is very blessed to have these children. We are lucky to have such beautiful babies," Jeanna said. In 2004, Giese-Frassetto was bitten by a bat in Fond du Lac. She did not seek immediate treatment and was diagnosed with rabies three weeks later. Doctors say she would have died if not for an experimental treatment, now known as the Milwaukee Protocol, that included a medically induced coma. Giese-Frassetto had a long recovery, including relearning to walk and talk.She married Scot Frassetto in September of 2014 and is now living in the Fox Valley. culled from Fox11online news

Man faces rabies risk after monkey bites in Bali .

A man who is getting rabies shots after a monkey bit him on the head in Bali has warned travellers against going near the creatures.Anthony Wallace, of East Gosford, was on a seven-day holiday with girlfriend Libby McManus when he was bitten at Ubud Monkey Forest. After the bite happened, Mr Wallace went to a first-aid centre at the monkey forest.

A Balinese doctor cleaned the wounds with salty water and antiseptic and administered a tetanus shot. He said the monkeys get tested for rabies once a year by an Australian doctor and the monkeys don't have rabies, but it was up to me if I wanted a rabies shot," Mr Wallace said. Mr Wallace, 46, sought advice from a Central Coast doctor when he returned home. 

"The doctor told him "if you get rabies you will die". Medical records showed rabies was almost always fatal after neurological symptoms had appeared.However, vaccination could prevent the disease even after exposure.Mr Wallace decided to undergo treatment, which included an immunoglobulin injection into the bite wounds."I had four injections into my scalp," he said."The right side of my head was puffed up like a balloon." 

 Additionally, Mr Wallace must have four shots of rabies vaccine over two weeks. Mr Wallace said the experience was "not something you'd like to see others go through".He and his girlfriend took precautions when visiting the monkeys, but had not realized the extent of the dangers they posed. They didn't take a backpack, sunglasses or hats to ensure the monkeys had nothing to grab."They had signs saying 'don't stare at or tease the monkeys'," Mr Wallace said. A lady was selling bunches of bananas to feed the monkeys, which they agreed to do.

"One of the big monkeys jumped on my shoulder – I thought that was pretty cool," he said."I gave the monkey the banana and it started to eat it." He didn't touch or provoke the monkey."Something dropped on my pants, I looked down and the monkey kind of freaked out." It dropped the banana, wrapped its arm around his eyes and took "a couple of big bites of my head", jumped off and ran away. 

Australia's smartraveller website strongly advised people to "avoid direct contact" with monkeys, dogs and other mammals in Indonesia because of rabies risk. BA World Health Organisation fact sheet said rabies infection "causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mostly in Asia and Africa". 

 Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease which occurs in more than 150 countries and territories. Dogs were the source of most human deaths from rabies. The disease was present "on all continents", except Antarctica. More than 15 million people a year receive a post-bite vaccination. Culled from Newcastle Herald.

RABIES IN CATTLE.

This is usually diagnosed in dogs and sometimes cats in this part of the world, with particular reference to dogs running wild and biting people.The virus can affect other animals such as horses,foxes,skunks,bats and cattle,but the usual suspect is the dog. A bite from an infected wild animal, such as a fox or raccoon, is a common method of infection in cattle. In Europe, rabies in dogs is a growing concern,in Africa the threats come from Jackals and in Northern Europe, Wolves are a prime vector of the virus. The skunk is the most likely carrier that spreads the disease to domestic animals such as dogs, cats, horses and cattle and those species then will show the clinical signs of rabies. The rabies virus is spread through the saliva of a positive animal, and when bitten by a positive animal is the primary way the virus is spread. However, other methods of spreading the disease are saliva from a positive animal getting into an open wound, or saliva from a positive animal getting into a mucus membrane – the eyes, gums or lips – of another animal or human.The time between infection and the onset of clinical signs varies. It can range from as early as a few weeks to as late as a few months after infection. Infected animals will start to carry the virus in their saliva before they start to show clinical signs, and this is why the rabies virus is different than most other viruses, because it does not enter the bloodstream but rather, the rabies virus travels through the nerves from the point of infection. If an animal is bitten on its back leg, the rabies virus will travel through the nerves of the back leg to the spinal cord, and then from the spinal cord, it will go to the brain and When this happens the clinical signs become obvious. An animal that is bitten on the nose, as it is believed most cattle are, will start showing clinical signs earlier than an animal bitten on the back leg. This is because the virus has less distance to travel to the brain and this accounts for the time variation between being infected and showing clinical signs.Once an animal shows clinical signs, typically within four to five days that animal will get progressively worse and die. There are effective rabies vaccinations available for humans, dogs, cats, horses and cattle. Veterinarians recommends that producers who show cattle consider vaccinating those cattle for rabies. If those show animals contract rabies, there is more of a chance of exposure to humans.While it isn’t always practical to vaccinate the whole cow herd, vaccination in prevalent areas are encouraged.

RABIES AND GLOBAL TRAVEL.

Scientists/researchers have warned tourist/holiday enthusiast to stay away from animals including bats on such travelling.This advice came on the heels of a lady that died after she was bitten by a dog while on a trip in India for 2 weeks. 

 Rabies is an acute viral infection of the central nervous system. The virus is usually transmitted through a dog bite, and results in at least 40,000 deaths worldwide every year.Around 90% of deaths occur in the developing world,particularly in India, where dogs that roam freely are largely responsible. Rabies is rare in the UK, where just 12 cases have been reported since 1977, 11 contracted abroad and one rare case acquired from a bat in the UK. 

 A team of researchers describe the case of a woman in her late 30s who was admitted to hospital with shooting pain in her lower back and left leg. Three and a half months earlier, she had been bitten by a puppy on a lead during a two week holiday in Goa. It left a slight graze, but she did not seek medical help, and she had not received a vaccination before travelling. 

She was diagnosed with rabies and died after 18 days in hospital. This case serves as an important reminder of the risk of rabies for any traveler to a country where rabies is endemic, even tourists on a short visit to a holiday resort, say the authors. 

 Travelers need to know whether they are visiting a country where rabies is endemic, and that any dog bite must be taken seriously,even an apparently innocuous bite from a pet. The risk can also be reduced by avoiding contact with animals that might be susceptible to rabies. stay away from roaming dogs ,cats or wildlife.

RABIES AND ORGAN TRANSPLANT.

An investigation into the source of a fatal case of rabies virus exposure indicates that the individual received the virus through a kidney transplant 18 months earlier. 

 This findings suggests that rabies transmitted by this route may have a longer incubation period, and that although solid organ transplant transmission of infectious encephalitis is rare, further education to increase awareness is needed. The rabies virus causes a fatal encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and can be transmitted through tissue or organ transplantation. 

The researchers found that in retrospect, the kidney donor's symptoms prior to death were consistent with rabies (the presumed diagnosis at the time of death was ciguatera poisoning [a foodborne illness]). 

 The Subsequent interviews with family members revealed that the donor had significant wildlife exposure, and had sustained at least 2 raccoon bites, for which he did not seek medical care. Rabies virus antigen was detected in archived autopsy brain tissue collected from the donor. 

The rabies viruses infecting the donor and the deceased kidney recipient were consistent with the raccoon rabies virus variant and were more than 99.9 percent identical across the entire N gene, thus confirming organ transplantation as the route of transmission. The 3 other organ recipients did not have signs or symptoms consistent with rabies or encephalitis.

 They have remained asymptomatic, with rabies virus neutralizing antibodies detected in their serum after completion of post-exposure prophylaxis. This transmission event provides an opportunity for enhancing rabies awareness and recognition and highlights the need for a modified approach to organ donor screening and recipient monitoring for infectious encephalitis. This investigation also underscores the importance of collaboration between clinicians, epidemiologists, and laboratory scientists . (culled from materials from American medical association.)