I was bitten by a feral dog while overseas. My search for rabies shots was a terrifying ordeal.

 

I was bitten by a feral dog while overseas. My search for rabies shots was a terrifying ordeal. Sharing this story, though quite lengthy but very informative. 

The take aways from the story: 1) Do not make assumptions about bites. 2) wash bite site with soap and water ,clean area with antiseptic solution then seek medical attention immediately. 

 I’d seen the gaunt canine milling around, but feral dogs seemed to congregate on every corner in India, so one more roaming the grounds of Amritsar’s Partition Museum didn’t garner any special attention. By the time I realized the dog was about to bite me, it was too late. 

 At least not until it sunk its incisors into my knee, leaving two bloody puncture marks. It could have been worse, but in a country where rabies kills thousands of people each year, it could have been so much better. 

 According to the World Health Organization, 36 percent of all rabies deaths occur in India. And while any mammal can transmit the rabies virus, 99 percent of all human cases result from contact with an infected dog. And travelers are not immune. 

In 2018, a British man died after contracting rabies after being bitten by an asymptomatic cat in Morocco. This year, a 24-year-old Norwegian woman died after attempting to rescue a puppy in the Philippines that bit her. In 2017, a Virginia woman succumbed to rabies after a dog bite in India. She rescued a puppy during her vacation. 

The dog’s bite proved deadly. Instinctively, after being bitten, I slathered my knee in hand sanitizer as locals in the northwestern India city directed my partner and me to a small lean-to with a faded red cross painted on it.

RABIES: a neglected disease that perpetuates poverty.

 RABIES: a neglected disease that perpetuates poverty.

Rabies is recognized as one of 20 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by the World Health Organization.

Although rabies is found on every continent, except Antarctica and some islands, it is well controlled or even eliminated in most developed countries. Today over 95% of human victims are from Africa and Asia, most from marginalized and impoverished rural communities. 

 Rabies is a preventable disease that overwhelmingly afflicts the poor, both in terms of its death toll and the associated financial burden. 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. 

 With a survival rate of less than 0.1%, those exposed to the virus face a stark choice: go in search of a series of vaccines and immunoglobulin that prevent the onset of the disease (post-exposure prophylaxis, PEP) or die. In some cases, PEP costs more than the monthly household income, and families are known to either go into debt to pay for PEP, or sell livestock on which they depend for income; both are options that negatively affect families’ future prospects. Rabies can destroy families literally (through death), emotionally, and financially – making it a truly horrific disease.

   Rabies survivor !!!

Rabies: kicking rabies out of our communities.

 Rabies though fatal is 100% preventable. There is a massive campaign to eliminate rabies by 2030, join now . Learn all you need to know about rabies and how to prevent it.

 Get free resources to share here.

Rabies : the comic book.

 This is a colorful comic book for kids to teach about rabies.

Rabies prevention tips.

1) vaccinate your dogs,cats and monkeys.

2) Do not approach an unknown dog, cat or monkey.

3) Prevent bites and scratches from dog, cats and monkeys.

4) When bitten by a dog,cat or monkey: wash site with soap under running water for 15 mins, clean area of bite with antiseptic solution or alcohol and seek medical attention.

 Get book here and share

#rabies #Lagos #endrabiesnow #book #games.

Gamifying rabies.

 

Did you know that rabies kills one person every 9 minutes?

Did you know that 59,000 people die of rabies worldwide every year?

Did you know that almost half of the victims are children under 15 years of age? 

Did you know that vaccinating 70% of dog population in an area breaks the dog-human cycle of rabies,thus eliminating rabies in such areas?

Did you know that vaccination of your dogs,cats and monkeys is a sure way to eliminate rabies?

Did you know that the fastest way to change a paradigm or introduce a concept that targets kids is by gamifying the concept or creating songs that are interactive?

Did you also know that creating awareness on public health issues can also be accomplished by creating stories, posters, coloring books for kids e.t.c?

Did you also know that when a kid learns something or comes across a story, the story spreads fast?

 Did you know that when you tell one kid a truth all the other kids in the community hears this truth? 

Did you also know that creating public awareness about diseases of public health importance is a collective responsibility?

Did you know that change is a collective effort? so play your part:by vaccinating your pets. Sharing the rabies game board in your network. Ensuring your neighbors are responsible pet owners that vaccinate their pets. 

Lets start now: kick rabies out of #Lagos. #Nigeria  #endrabiesnow

Mission rabies : surveillance is a key strategy for zero by 30

 Surveillance is a key part of our work to protect at-risk communities now, and in the future. This means manning 24-hour emergency hotlines, deploying rabies response teams, and setting up what we call Integrated Bite Case Management (IBCM).

This is an intensive surveillance technique whereby our officers actively seek out cases where a human has been bitten by a dog. Instead of waiting for people to report dogs showing signs of rabies, the officers screen cases in hospitals to find the ones most likely to be from rabid animals.

In one month alone, Lyson one of our IBCM officers in Malawi, investigated 12 cases across three districts, seven of which turned out to be rabid animals. One case, in particular, will stay in Lyson's mind for a long time and highlights the direct impact made by our IBCM work.

Lyson was called out to investigate the case of an aggressive dog which had been killed. The postmortem test result confirmed the suspicion that the animal was in fact rabid. While doing contact tracing, Lyson came across a lady who got bitten on her leg and hand by this dog the previous day. Unaware of the risk of rabies or the need for post-exposure vaccinations, she had not sought treatment. After Lyson clearly explained the deadly risks and how she could protect herself, the woman went to the district hospital to receive all five vaccinations.

Two months later, Lyson visited the woman and found her in good health. She was very grateful for the advice she received that day and is aware that this information very likely saved her life. She also promised that she will spread the word about Mission Rabies and our key messages in her village, especially to children, so they all know the crucial steps to take if they are bitten by a dog.

End rabies now: Zero by 30.

 

It is totally unacceptable for anyone to die of rabies: break the cycle, vaccinate your dogs.

59,000 People die every year of rabies.

 Be a f.o.r.c.e, eliminate rabies.

RABIES.