Rabies
2023 MAR 28
Preliminary >
Science and Technology > Miscellaneous > Diseases
Why in news?
- Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) for prevention and control of Rabies.
About Rabies:
- Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease.
- It is caused by a Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) virus that is present in the saliva of a rabid animal (dog, cat, monkey, etc).
- It is invariably transmitted following a bite of an infected animal that leads to deposition of the saliva and the virus in the wound.
- The virus affects the central nervous system.
- Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal. The death invariably occurs in four days to two weeks due to cardio-respiratory failure.
- In 99% of cases, domestic dogs are responsible for rabies virus transmission to humans.
- The incubation period varies from 2–3 months but may vary from 1 week to 1 year, or rarely even more.
Treatment:
- Rabies can be prevented by vaccinating pets, staying away from wildlife, and seeking medical care after potential exposures before symptoms start.
Symptoms:
- The first symptoms of rabies may be similar to flu and may last for a few days, which includes:
- Fever, Headache, Nausea, Vomiting, Anxiety, Confusion, Hyperactivity, Difficulty swallowing, Excessive salivation, Hallucinations, Insomnia.
Rabies in India:
- India accounts for 36% of the world’s rabies deaths.
- It causes 18 000-20 000 deaths every year.
- In India, dogs are responsible for about 97% of human rabies, followed by cats (2%), jackals, mongooses and others (1%).
Initiatives:
- Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2023
- This is to be implemented by the local authority to control the population of stray dogs.
- The main focus of the rules is on anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs and neutering of stray dogs as means of population stabilization.
- National Action Plan For Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE)
- NAPRE has been launched with the aim of reducing human deaths, caused due to dog-mediated rabies, to zero by 2030.
- This aim will be achieved through sustained mass dog vaccination and appropriate post-exposure treatment.
- National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP)
- Provision of rabies vaccine & rabies immunoglobulin through national free drug initiatives
- Training on appropriate animal bite management, prevention and control of rabies, surveillance and intersectoral coordination;
- Strengthening surveillance of animal bites and rabies deaths reporting;
- Creating awareness about rabies prevention.
PRACTICE QUESTION:
Consider the following statements regarding ‘Rabies’:
1. It is a zoonotic viral disease
2. It is transmitted to humans through bite of an infected animal
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer