We live in the era of vaccination and antibiotics, but some infections remain dangerous and even deadly for us. Bacteria and viruses can be dangerous in different ways. Rabies virus – what do ordinary people know about it? The danger of rabies is that it guarantees death and there is no effective treatment after the first symptoms appear. There are only preventive measures. Fortunately, even after infection, a person can be saved if they act immediately. In Russia, only 6 cases of the disease were recorded in 2021, and 7 in 2020. However, hundreds of thousands of people bitten by animals seek medical attention. All of them can potentially be infected, so everyone has to be vaccinated. How can someone get infected? Rabies is caused by a rabies virus. In nature, it has a natural reservoir: mainly foxes, wolves, jackals, arctic foxes, raccoons, raccoon dogs, mongooses, and blood-sucking bats. Domestic animals (dogs, cats) and livestock get infected from them. People get infected in 99% of cases from sick dogs, both stray and domestic. Cats are in second place, and infection occurs less frequently from foxes and wolves and very rarely from other animals. The virus is found in saliva, and sick animals often behave aggressively, so infection most often occurs through bites. It is dangerous for saliva to get on scratches and even on intact skin and mucous membranes because the virus can penetrate through microscopic wounds. One can also get infected if touching a surface with infected saliva. Symptoms and incubation period At first, an infected person feels normal. The incubation period can last from 10 days to a year. In most cases, symptoms appear after 1-2 months. The first manifestations are general. The person feels like they have an unclear infection. They feel unwell, have headaches, and a slightly elevated body temperature. The scar left by the bite may suggest the cause: it becomes inflamed and painful. Then symptoms of nervous system damage appear. Among them is the “calling card” of rabies, for which it got its alternative name – “hydrophobia” or “fear of water.” When the patient tries to drink, a spasm of the throat muscles occurs, and they cannot swallow the liquid. The bite site matters! The closer to the brain the body part where the infection occurred, the worse. What to do if you have been bitten? If a person has been bitten or scratched by an animal or if the animal’s saliva has gotten on the skin, one must act quickly. Yes, the animal may not be sick, especially if it is domestic and the owner takes care of it. And even if the animal is sick, the probability of infection is not 100%. But no matter how low the risks seem, life is at stake, and this must be remembered. The correct order of actions is as follows: • Immediately wash the bite area and any other places where the animal’s saliva might have gotten with a soapy solution for 15 minutes. Then rinse these areas with running water. • Treat with hydrogen peroxide. • Treat the wound edges with iodine solution. • Go immediately to the nearest emergency center. • Emergency vaccination! The only way to save a person infected with rabies is vaccination. If the body manages to produce antibodies and defeat the virus, the disease will not develop. Therefore, immunization must begin as soon as possible, ideally within the first 24 hours. Doctors in emergency centers handle this. Vaccination after a possible infection is called post-exposure or post-contact. Two types of drugs are used for this: • Anti-rabies vaccines are used for active immunization, meaning for the human body to develop its own immunity against the virus. Will 40 shots be necessary in the abdomen? Previously, vaccination was done exactly like this. To create good immune protection, old vaccines had to be injected many times in the area around the navel, and it was painful. But now things are different! The stories about 40 shots should have been forgotten long ago. With modern vaccines, six injections in the deltoid muscle of the shoulder (for small children – in the thigh) are sufficient. Modern vaccines are well tolerated and very effective: if the first vaccination is given immediately and the schedule is followed, the disease can be prevented in almost 100% of cases. At present, rabies remains an incurable deadly infection. But it can be prevented. Everyone should know about this disease and the measures that can save lives.