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Rabies Virus Ag Test Kit

Information

Rabies is one of the most well known of all the viruses. Fortunately, through active vaccination and eradication programs, there were only 3 reported  cases of human rabies in the United States in 2006, although 45,000 people were exposed and required post-exposure vaccination and antibody injections. In other parts of the world, however, human cases and deaths from rabies  are much higher. Around the world 1 person dies from rabies every 10 minutes.

Rabies Virus

Symptoms

After coming in contact with the virus, the bitten animal may go through one or all of several stages. With most animals, the virus will spread through the nerves of the bitten animal towards the brain. The virus is relatively slow moving and the average time of incubation from exposure to brain involvement is between 3 to 8 weeks in dogs, 2 to 6 weeks in cats, and 3 to 6 weeks in people. However, incubation periods as long as 6 months in dogs and 12 months in people have been reported. After the virus reaches the brain it then will move to the salivary glands where it can be spread through a bite. After the virus reaches the brain the animal will show one, two, or all of the three different phases.

Treatment

There is no treatment. Once the disease develops in humans, death is almost certain. Only a handful of people have survived rabies after extremely intensive medical care. There have been several reported cases of dogs surviving the infection, but they are very rare.

Prevention

Vaccination is the best way to prevent infection and properly vaccinated animals stand very little chance of contracting the disease. While rabies vaccination for dogs is mandatory for all states, it is estimated that up to half of all dogs are not vaccinated. The standard vaccination protocol is to vaccinate cats and dogs at three or four months and then again at one year of age. A year later, a three-year rabies vaccination is recommended. The three-year vaccine has been tested and shown to be very effective. A few counties, states, or individual veterinarians require yearly or once every two- year vaccination for a variety of reasons that need to be explored more closely.