28th September is observed as World Rabies Day all over the world. The dreaded disease terrified mankind from times immemorial not only because of its symptoms but because of it being 100% fatal.
Ultimately it was experienced and revealed that Rabies was contracted from bites of mad dogs. Out of ignorance crude methods were used in the past to treat rabies affected patients which included cutting flesh around the bitten site, placing hot rods over the tissue etc. The disease was so fearsome that the person who was bitten by dogs committed suicide to avoid gruesome pain.
Finally, Rabies treatment was invented in 1885 when a nine-year-old boy named Joseph Meister was bitten by a dog. Many at that time believed that he was a walking dead body and was destined to die.
He was taken to a chemist named Louis Pasteur who at that time had successfully used nervous tissue of rabies affected rabbit to prevent rabies in dogs.
On 6 July 1885 Louis Pasteur and his colleagues injected the first of 14 daily doses of rabbit spinal cord suspensions containing progressively inactivated rabies virus into Joseph Meister.
Miraculously the boy recovered and the world heaved a sigh of relief. Louis Pasteur died on 28th September 1895 and his death anniversary is observed as World Rabies Day since 2007 to honour his contribution to mankind and the field of Immunology.
Since the intervention of Louis Pasteur, Rabies vaccination and treatment has made tremendous strides. But still across the globe around 59000 people mainly children die annually because of Rabies especially in developing countries.
This is mainly because the affected victims don’t get timely vaccination. Being zoonotic disease about 99% of Rabies cases are due to dog bites as affected dogs harbour the virus in their saliva.
Once the affected Dog bites somebody the virus in its saliva enters the body of the victim and ultimately reaches to the victim’s brain. After an incubation phase, the victim experiences fever, head ache, severe muscle spasms upon drinking water (Hydrophobia), neurological signs and ultimately dies a painful death.
28th September this year will mark the 17th World Rabies Day. This year’s theme ‘All for 1, One Health for all’ highlights that One Health is not for a selected few but for everyone.
According to One Health concept the wellbeing of humans depends on healthy animals living in a healthy environment.
The best way to prevent Rabies is to control it at the source by scientifically managing dog population and by vaccinating dogs (pre-exposure prophylaxis).
Awareness about Rabies is the need of the hour and children are particularly at risk. Dog bites need to be taken seriously and immediate medical attention should be sought.