Does a dog get rabies with a bite?

We've heard a lot about rabies. Because rabies vaccines are readily available, people are less interested in them than in other diseases.

But before the vaccine became available, the number of deaths due to rabies has not decreased. This is because there is a lot of confusion in society about rabies. How does rabies affect? What is the reliable treatment for this? Infectious disease specialist Dr. focuses on issues including. 

How does rabies affect?

Dogs are a victim of rabies. The disease is transmitted to dogs by other animals and is transmitted to humans by dogs. The disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of a dog. It travels through the muscles of our body to the tiny nerves and reaches the main nerves.

How is the rabies virus transmitted to dogs?

The disease is transmitted to wild dogs by contact with foxes and foxes. And, when the dog reaches the city near the forest, the disease spreads to other dogs through the contact between that dog and Tokai.

How do you know if a dog has the rabies virus?

According to my experience of 20 years of studying infectious diseases, the symptoms of rabies have changed in a decade. In the past, rabies-infected dogs were more aggressive, with tailed tails and tingling sensations. But in recent times, the symptoms of rabies in dogs have changed a lot. Dogs with the rabies virus do not have any special symptoms. If the dog has the rabies virus, the most common symptom is fear of wind and water.

How often does a dog bite a person?

Symptoms are usually seen within one to three months of being bitten by a dog. But sometimes it can appear years later, not three months. In my experience, many people have seen symptoms in 6 to 8 months after being bitten by a dog. If the dog has a bite on the vein of the hand, has made a deep wound, and bites above the head, they will show symptoms within a few days.

Does a rabies-infected dog chase and bite a person, or only in other cases?

A rabies-infected dog does not just bite people. It can also bite in other normal cases. Aggressive biting does not mean rabies can be transmitted by biting while playing.

What to do with a rabies-infected dog bite? Is there a way out?

About 90 percent of the rabies virus can be transmitted by a rabies-infected dog that goes directly to Tokina and opens the water tap and washes it in running water for at least 15 minutes. If possible, rinsing with soap and water is more effective. Then go to the hospital as soon as possible and get vaccinated.

How long should a dog bite?

Vaccinate as soon as possible after a dog bites. If a rabies dog dies within 10 days, it must be vaccinated against rabies. So it is more important to know the condition of the dog than time. But the dog had bitten him a month ago. If the dog disappears immediately after the bite, he should also be vaccinated against rabies. If the condition of the dog is known, it can be treated without rabies.

Is there a risk of rabies after being vaccinated against rabies?

There is no risk of rabies after being vaccinated against rabies. Therefore, the risk of rabies can be avoided if the dog is vaccinated as soon as it is stopped.

Why should you be vaccinated against rabies even after being bitten by a normal dog?

Even in the case of a normal dog bite, the rabies vaccine should be given, as some dogs may not show any symptoms. It is okay to vaccinate a dog for 10 days depending on its condition. But since it is very safe after vaccination, it is advisable to get vaccinated.

Suppose a normal dog bites and is not vaccinated. Is there any danger to the person if the dog is bred later?

There is no danger to the person if he is bitten by a normal dog and does not breed for 10 days. But if a normal dog bites, the dog multiplies or dies within 10 days, and if the person is not vaccinated, the person is at risk of rabies.

How many people die each year from rabies? How many are infected?

According to data from nearly two decades ago, rabies killed an average of 12 to 14 people a year. But now that the vaccine is widely available, the death toll has not dropped.

What is a reliable treatment?

There is no cure for rabies if it spreads intravenously through the muscles. So vaccination is the only way to prevent this disease. If the dog has a bite in the vein of the hand, has made a deep wound, and bites above the head, an immunoglobulin vaccine should be given immediately.

How many doses of rabies vaccine should be given?

There is also a lot of confusion about the dose of the rabies vaccine. Zero, three, seven, and fourteen doses of four doses in two weeks are enough. But in many places outside, five doses of rabies vaccine have also been found.

Available free of charge at government hospitals. The vaccine is also available at private pharmacies. A single dose at a private pharmacy costs Rs 670.

How much is the state spending on rabies treatment? What measures have been taken to prevent it?

The only cure for rabies is a vaccine. The state is spending Rs. 7 to 80 million annually for this. In addition, various public awareness programs have been carried out for its prevention.

How good is it to keep a stray dog ​​in a government shelter?

There are about 22,000 stray dogs in Kathmandu. This is the data from last year released by Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

These dogs are roaming the streets of the city. She also endured hunger and thirst. On the one hand, they are not getting enough to eat, on the other hand, their lives are not protected. When will someone pour hot water, who will rain stones, whose car will be trampled? There is no solution.

These dogs are living a miserable life with disease, hunger, and insecurity. Disease and hunger are killing people prematurely. The average age of a dog is 15 years. But street dogs in the city do not live for 5-6 years.

There is also a risk of accidents and bites caused by street dogs suffering from disease and hunger. The number of deaths and injuries from dog bites is on the rise. Is there a way to manage these street dogs properly?

World practice shows that the government can protect and manage street dogs by making them shelters.

But has the Kathmandu Metropolitan City made any such long-term and scientific plan? Carrying this question, we reached Kathmandu Metropolitan City. There is a separate department for animal management in the metropolis. The head of the same department, Dr. According to Awadhesh Kumar Jha, plans have been made to manage street dogs. However, it has not been implemented.

He said that the metropolis is now working to rescue the injured street dogs. "Management is how we manage dogs every year by vaccinating them against rabies and other diseases, feeding them mustaches, and sterilizing them," says Jha. '

At the same time, even if the Kathmandu metropolis manages all the garbage, the number of dogs will decrease to some extent, he said. "Dogs gather in garbage dumps. Even when all the garbage is managed, the number of dogs decreases," he says.

The practice of the world

It has been a long time since I started managing street dogs in other countries. But Nepal is just getting started. In this case, it is difficult to solve immediately. To manage community dogs, the corporation is running a sterilization program, dubbed the 'Friendly Program'.

Under this, community dogs in the metropolis are being neutered and vaccinated.

A temporary shelter has also been set up in Teku to treat injured and sick dogs. If a dog bites people indiscriminately on the street, such dogs are also taken under control and kept in shelters, Jha said. "The metropolis is building a shelter in Dakshinkali to manage the children left on the streets," he says.

Jha says that if a street dog bites or hurts a person, a complaint can be lodged by calling the toll-free number of Kathmandu metropolis. For the sustainable management of street dogs, work can also be done in collaboration with privately run shelters. For that, some criteria should be formulated. Jha argues that other local levels should also manage the street dogs in their area as per those criteria.

The metropolis itself has to manage the street dogs. If efficient manpower is deployed under this leadership, all the dogs in the metropolis can be managed within five years.

Risk without management

There is also a risk of accidental bites and accidents on the road due to the lack of management of street dogs. The metropolis is discussing how to manage street dogs to prevent such possible accidents.

Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balendra Sah had also proposed that the stray dogs can be managed by taking them to a shelter. But managing a street dog is not the best option, says Jha. He argues that neutering and vaccinating as many dogs as possible can be a viable option.

Doug Shelter's plan

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City is discussing the issue of constructing a shelter for dogs that bite many people.

Jha says, ‘The metropolis lacks both budget and manpower to keep the 22,000 dogs in the metropolis. So, by neutering, the number of dogs can be reduced to one thousand and kept in a shelter. '

According to Jha, 18,000 out of 22,000 dogs in the metropolis have been neutered.

The government plans to reduce rabies from dogs to humans by 2030. Rs. 80 million is being spent annually for this. If this money can be spent on street dog management, you don't have to spend a lot of money on rabies vaccination.

Four employees are working in animal husbandry in the metropolis. Generally, 20 people are required for this task.

‘The Kathmandu Metropolitan City alone cannot manage street dogs. Other local levels should also manage their area's dogs. For this, the government should allocate manpower and budget to work and also monitor, 'says Jha.