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History of rabies infection
Brief history of rabies
Brief history of rabies
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Rabies: Treatment and Prevention
Abstract
Rabies is an aggressive and extremely detrimental disease. For years, exposure to rabies was analogous to a death sentence as there was absolutely no hope for a cure or a chance of survival after contracting it. Now, thanks to the development of many new vaccines, rabies has become a curable disease that can easily be prevented from destroying the lives of both humans and animals. However vaccinations are only a single facet in a wide spectrum of precautionary measures that can be taken to help halt the spread of this devastating disease.
Rabies is a pervasive, virulent disease that has had truly terrible effects on the world for centuries. Dating back as early as the year 2300 B.C., Mesopotamian documents describe the erratic behavior of dogs that were prone to fits of inexplicable violence and rage- what is now referred to as rabies (Jackson and Hunter 1). Rabies is just as grave an issue in today’s modern world as it was in ancient times. If left untreated, rabies wrecks havoc upon the bodies’ of both animals and humans, causing acute encephalitis and eventual painful death (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1). Although rabies is extremely dangerous, thanks to scientists like Pasteur there are now various methods for treating this disease (Jackson and Hunter 5).
Rabies is classified as a zoonotic disease, which, by definition, is a disease that can be transferred from animals to humans. Currently there are two different vaccine regimens that scientists have created as a way to deal with this destructive malady: postexposure prophylaxis and preexposure prophylaxis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1). As the names imply, the key difference between these vac...
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...then that we can make progress and move that much closer to making this disease less of a terrible issue for both humans and animals alike.
List of Works Cited
"Compendium for Animal Rabies Prevention and Control 2006." Recommendations and
Reports. 20 Mar 2006. CDC Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report. 22 Jul 2007
Jackson, Alan C., and William H. Hunter. Rabies. London: Elsevier Science, 2002.
"Prevention and Control." Rabies. 01 Dec 2003. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. 18 Jul 2007 control/preventi.htm>. "Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Regimen." Animal Bites and Rabies Risk. 12 Sep
2006. Minnesota Department of Health. 21 Jul 2007 .
Through the rise of technological advances in medicine, the vaccine has changed the world for the greater good of the human race. Making a great triumph and virtually eliminating an array of life-threatening diseases, from smallpox to diphtheria, thus adding approximately thirty years to many humans’ life spans. Although, a new complication has arisen, possibly linking neurological digression with this rise of new vaccines. Such a digression has forced parents to exempt their children from receiving vaccinations and brought forth mental anguish affecting the minds of many.
Almost 2,000 died the night of the 1928 storm in Florida. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston realistically depicts the Okeechobee hurricane that struck the coast of South Florida. The incredulous, category four storm produced winds as high as 150 mph and flood waters of up to eight feet. Hurston describes their heart wrenching experience throughout the end of the novel when Janie, the protagonist of the story, survives the devastating hurricane with her husband, Tea Cake. The book shows similarities between the overflow of Lake Okeechobee and the specific weather conditions of the hurricane, but differs regarding the aftermath of the storm.
The Web. 21 Nov. 2010. “Dog Bite: Fact Sheet.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC, 1 Apr. 2008.
...at in domestic animals, which indicates wild animals cause a higher risk to humans. Controlling the disease in susceptible wild free-ranging animal populations is implemented by oral vaccination and recombinant rabies vaccine by use of vaccine-containing bait. The best prevention is decreasing chances to expose to the disease. Once a patient is suspected as a rabies case, the physician and local health administrator should decide whether infection actually occurs and whether a risk of rabies exists in the geographic area. Once the identification is completed, the patient should receive post-exposure prophylaxis immediately, which contains the combination of local wound cleansing, human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) and rabies vaccine. The population such as veterinarians, animal handlers that have higher risk to be infected should receive pre-exposure immunization.
The article’s information is presented with the goal of informing a reader on vaccines. The evidence is statistical and unbiased, showing data on both side effects and disease prevention, providing rates of death and serious illness from both sides. This evidence is sourced from a variety of medical organizations and seems reliable, logical, and easily understood, no language that would inspire an emotional response is used. The validity of studies is not mentioned in the article, but it does encourage readers to investigate further to help make a decision. The article allows a reader to analyze the presented evidence and come to their own
They may believe that this is in everyone’s best interest to choose whether or not to get their pet revaccinated. However, there are always limitations or exceptions to this argument. There have been cases where a veterinarian has told them that they do not need to have the animal revaccinated and unfortunately, fate gets to the animal first. The animal has come into contact with the rabies disease and now the owner is in a bad situation and of course, immediately blames the vet for the situation that they are currently experiencing. The said owner of this personal narrative did end up suing the vet and the vet did get in trouble for her ‘wrongful misquoting.’ Because of stories like this that have happened before, some vets are very cautious when they tell people their opinions. A veterinarian is still a human being and mistakes will be made. Mistakes are not preventable and their education and knowledge was not always enough to go against the game of life. As a partial solution to this problem, veterinarians have resulted to keeping their opinions to themselves and following what they were taught in school all of those years ago. In graduate school, the veterinarian students are taught to follow the vaccination schedule and follow it right on the dot when it comes to the dates as well as the time of year! Some people are more fond of this method so that they are not taking any unnecessary risks; while
Koprowski, H. (2009), Rabies in the Face of the 21st Century. Zoonoses and Public Health,
A “vaccine” or otherwise known as a vaccination, is something that stimulates someone’s immune system from a disease. Vaccines can prevent infections and actually cause it to not re-occur again. The invention of the Rabies, and Anthrax vaccines not only saved life’s, but helped scientist conduct and produce more accurate and successful research. Discovered by Louis Pasteur, in 1882, the innovation of the rabies vaccine was invented. Rabies is a critical and sometimes fatal infection that one could get with coming in contact with a “rabid” or wild animal. When this virus enters the body and spreads, it travels slowly through all the nerves and all the way to the brain. Once it reaches the brain, it becomes fatal. The number of deaths due to rabies worldwide each year is approximately 55,000. However, due to the invention of the rabies vaccine, the number of fatalities and illnesses decreased by a substantial amount.
The history of vaccinations does not begin with the first vaccination itself but rather an infectious disease that had greatly affected the human population. In 1796 Edward Jenner created a successful composition using cowpox material that created immunity to the ongoing growth of the small pox disease. Jenner’s method underwent 200 years of medical and technological changes until it had finally resulted in complete elimination of the smallpox disease. Vaccinations have been a controversial medical topic for many years and although it is proven to be an effective means of preventing serious effects, including fatalities from childhood illnesses the controversy remains that the side effects from the immunizations outweigh the risk of contracting the disease. According to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia they state that “innovative techniques now drive vaccine research, with recombinant DNA technology and new delivery techniques leading scientist in new directions. Disease targets have expanded, and some vaccine research is beginning to focus on non-infectious conditions, such as addictions and allergies” (“The History of Vaccines” College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Web. 10 January. 2014). While public health officials insist that vaccines are the best way to protect public health. Over the past thirty years the vaccination schedule has tripled and since then there has been an alarming rise in the infant mortality rate in America. The problem is not the vaccination itself, but the quality of the vaccination.
DeIorio, Elaine. “Have a Dog-Bite-Free Summer” Marion County Animal Services 17 May 2010. Web. 12 Jun. 2010.
"Vaccine Side Effects/Risks." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 08 Mar. 2012. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.
Rabies, kills 30-70 thousand people each year around the world (CDC). 40,000 people are treated for it each year in the United States alone (CDC). Carried by rabid animals, this viral infection poses a threat to animal lovers alike. The primary problem with rabies is prevention, the effects are severe, and the causes are many. The virus is spread by animals.
"The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Program: The Health Benefits of Pets." NIH Consensus Development Program. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.
"Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals." AALAS Foundation. 2005. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. 2012 .