Section 8 Rabies

Introduction of Rabies

Rabies，also known as hydrophobia，is an acute infection caused by the rabies virus that attacks the central nervous system，the fatality rate is almost 100%. People are infected through the damaged skin and mucosa by touching the saliva，secretions and excretions of the animals with rabies virus. Almost all the mammals can be the source of infection，but the main source of infection is canine and feline. In South America，the viral vampire bat is the major source of infection. In addition，there were reports about infection through the respiratory tract mucosa and organ transplantation.

The incubation period of rabies usually varies from 1 to 3 months. When the viral virulence is strong，the amount of invasion is large，the wound is close to the head or the patient is old and weak，the incubation period is relatively shorter. The clinical classification of rabies includes furious rabies and dumb-madness，the former is common in China. The clinical manifestations are wound pain and itch，high excitement，fear of water and wind，pharyngeal spasm convulsion and sympathetic excitation. The course of disease is divided into prodromal stage，excitement stage and paralysis stage，usually within 6 days.

Rabies is widely distributed around the world，it’s still an important public health problem in the 21st century. 99% of human rabies occur in developing countries，mainly in Asia，Africa，Latin America and the Caribbean. India was the country with the worst outbreak of the year，followed by China. From 2004 to 2014，the number of deaths from rabies lies in the top three infectious diseases in China. The incidence of rabies is high in the summer and autumn，it has characteristics of “three more”，male cases more，rural areas more and people aged under 15 or over 50 more，respectively. At present，post-exposure treatment is the only effective way to prevent rabies after exposure.

狂犬病流行病学个案调查表

Epidemiological Questionnaire for Cases of Rabies

Questionnaire

（本节编者-刘文辉　本节核对-孙艺）