So how scary is rabies? Rabies, also known as hydrophobia, is an acute human-animal infectious disease caused by the rabies virus that attacks the nervous system. The virus is usually transmitted from the diseased animal to humans through saliva in the form of a bite wound. Clinical manifestations include characteristic hydrophobia, fear of wind, fear of agitation, swallowing muscle spasms, and progressive paralysis. It is important to know that there is a 30% to 60% incidence rate after a rabies bite, and the incubation period is usually 3 to 8 weeks, as little as 10 days and as long as several months or years. The rabies virus slowly proliferates in the transverse muscle cells around the bite site and invades the spinal cord and central nervous system. Once an attack occurs, the rate of death is nearly 100%. What should I do if I am bitten by a rabid dog? Once bitten or scratched by a dog or cat, immediately rinse the wound repeatedly with 20% soapy water, disinfect the wound with 2-3% iodine or 75% alcohol, expose the wound without sutures and bandages, and immediately go to a designated rabies immunization clinic for rabies vaccination. Rabies vaccination is usually a five-dose procedure, i.e., one shot each on the day of the bite, the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 28th days. In serious cases, anti-rabies serum or rabies immunoglobulin will be given before the vaccination. However, it is also possible to follow the “2-1-1” procedure: two injections on the day of injection and one on days 7 and 21. WHO drew a complete flow chart Source: World Health Organization How can we prevent rabies in general? 1, learn to identify whether the dog’s performance is normal In general, the course of rabies is divided into three stages: the first, the dog’s behavior changes very abnormal, will suddenly be close to people or distant; excitement, the dog’s performance is extremely unstable, encounter stimuli will tremble throughout the body, and often attack people or other animals; paralysis period, the performance of action swaying, jaw drooping, open mouth and tongue, and finally appear trunk and limb paralysis and other symptoms. 2, master a few wound treatment myths ① by their own vaccinated dog bite, to be inoculated with rabies vaccine? Yes! The vaccine will only protect people if it is inoculated into you. ② scratched by the claws of dogs and cats, not a bite, it is fine, right? No! The principle of wound treatment is still the same. ③Only a tooth mark is left, not a bite, so you don’t need to take care of it, right? Wrong! Even if it’s just a small mark, you still need a doctor to make a formal judgment. The principle is – go to the regular hospital to see a doctor!