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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

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