Sanjay Kumar/Chandauli: Often you may have heard of serious diseases and deaths caused by dog bites, but recently a case came to light, which surprised everyone. A child died only for this reason, because a dog had licked the old injury on his body. This case has increased both fear and awareness among people about dangerous diseases like rabies. On this subject, the correspondent of Local 18 interacted with Dr. Riddhi Pandey and took information on the cause, symptoms and prevention measures of this disease.
This is how virus can enter
Dr. Riddhi Pandey said that nowadays it has become very common that pets or stray dogs bite anyone. Or give scratches, in such a situation, if not immediately noticed, then the victim’s death can occur in a few days. Rabies is a malignant virus -borne disease, usually found in the saliva of dogs, monkeys and some other animals. This virus can enter the body not only by bite, but also by licking, scratching, or saliva on open wounds.
It is necessary to take 3 dose in a year
He further told that if a dog is being brought up in the house, then the first need is to give him anti-rabies vaccine on time. Along with this, the owners of pets should also be vaccinated. It is necessary to take 3 doses in a year, so that there is no risk of any infection in future. Dr. Riddhi also clarified that if a dog or monkey cuts or scratches, then he should go to the hospital without delay and take an anti-ribies vaccine. Apart from this, it is very important to wash the place that cuts or licking it immediately with soap and water. The sooner this process is done, the better.
Family members should be cautious
At the same time, Dr. Riddhi said that the rabies virus first affects the brain after entering the body. Initially, the patient feels symptoms like flu, such as fever, headache, restlessness. Symptoms then become serious, such as epilepsy seizures, hydrophobia, fear of light, muscle cramps, etc. These symptoms can emerge quickly in children and they cannot even tell anyone in fear, so the family should be cautious.
Do not ignore the vaccine
He said that most of the cases of rabies in India spread from dogs and monkeys. Some people trust home remedies, but there is no home remedy for rabies. Only cleanliness and timely vaccination is the protection. Some homeopathic medicines can be helpful, but there is no alternative to vaccine. Rabies is a deadly disease, but prevention is completely possible. If we be aware and take the right steps on time. It can be overwhelming to ignore a small thing like licking a dog. So always be careful and do not ignore the vaccine.
