Rabies

Overview

Rabies is a virus that infects mammals and can be transmitted to humans, usually through bites from an animal that is rabid or has active rabies infection. Rabies virus is concentrated in saliva and nerve tissue of an infected animal. In different parts of the world, different animals can serve as the reservoir for different rabies virus strains, e.g., bat strain or fox strain. 

In Alaska, foxes in the North Slope and Southwestern coastal areas can carry and spread the virus. 

Symptoms & Diagnosis

After a bite or direct exposure to rabies, the virus starts to travel to the brain which can take weeks or months. Once severe symptoms appear, rabies is nearly always fatal within days. 

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 to see if you might need post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent rabies from developing. 

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) involves getting human rabies immune globulin (HRIG; dosed on your weight) and then receiving four or five rabies vaccines over a few weeks. It’s important to stick to the schedule you are given. 

Rabies can take weeks to months to develop; and once you have symptoms of rabies, the treatment is more supportive care because most cases are fatal. 

Prevention

To prevent being exposed to rabies, you can: 

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

Reporting

 State regulation (5 AAC 92.410(b)) requires any person killing a game animal in defense of life or property (DLP) to submit a written report to the Department of Fish and Game within 15 days of the incident: Department of Fish and Game: Defense of Life and Property form 

Health care providers and laboratories 

Health care providers and laboratories are required to report rabies immediately. 

Dog or other animal bites are not reported to one statewide office. However, some towns or cities may require you to report them to a local animal control agency. 

The Section of Epidemiology is available to consult with any health care provider about what constitutes an exposure to rabies, or what types of laboratory specimens need to be collected for testing a person suspected of having clinical rabies. 

Resources