Rabies

Overview

Rabies is a virus that infects mammals and spreads to humans, usually through bites from animals that are already infected.

In Alaska, foxes, especially in the North Slope and Southwest, are the main carriers.

Symptoms & Diagnosis

Rabies is a serious disease that can cause death within days of symptoms. After a bite or scratch, the virus starts to travel to the brain and once severe symptoms appear, rabies is nearly always fatal.

Early symptoms include:

• Weakness
• Fever
• Headache 

Severe symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Insomnia
• Agitation
• Delirium
• Hallucinations
• Fear of water
• Increased saliva
• Seizures

Treatment

If you think you’ve been exposed to rabies, get medical help right away.

Treatment for rabies is called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). PEP involves cleaning the wound, getting a shot of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), and receiving four or five rabies vaccines. It’s very important to get these treatments as soon as possible after exposure.

Prevention

To prevent rabies, you should:

• Keep your pets’ rabies vaccines up to date
• Stay away from wild animals to keep both people and pets safe
• Call animal control to remove stray animals in your area
• Wash bites or scratches with soap and water right away
• See a doctor quickly if you might have been exposed

Reporting

 Rabies is a reportable condition.