Rabies is an acute, especially dangerous viral infectious disease that, without vaccination, leads to death. The source of infection is warm-blooded animals that are infected from other animals. The rabies virus infects the animal - it loses its natural instincts, becomes aggressive and attacks animals and people.
Infection with the virus occurs during contact with a sick animal when it licks human skin or bites. Through damaged skin, the virus enters the human bloodstream, then into the nerve plexuses, accumulates and affects the central nervous system.
Animals with rabies are dangerous even before the onset of the disease, because the infection enters the human body with the saliva of a sick animal during a bite or injury. Infection is also possible if the saliva of a sick animal gets on the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, nose, or on the skin with microtraumas.
The development of the infectious process depends on the site of the bite. The incubation period can last from 1 month to 1 year.
It is worth remembering that to prevent rabies, it is necessary to:
- in case of bites (or skin slobbering) by an animal - it is necessary to thoroughly wash the wound under running water with household soap, treat the edges of the wound with 5% tincture of iodine. If the bleeding is insignificant, it does not need to be stopped, since the rabies virus is released from the wound along with the blood;
- contact a rabies specialist as soon as possible for a mandatory consultation, qualified treatment of the wound and, if necessary, a course of anti-rabies vaccinations;
- the prescribed course of anti-rabies vaccinations must be completed in full and its interruption must not be allowed;
- An animal that has bitten a person must be placed under 10-day veterinary supervision; for this, you must contact the veterinary medicine institution at your place of residence;
- When encountering animals that may bite, do not provoke them, try to avoid such "encounters" and constantly explain to children the dangers of contact with such animals;
- if a wild animal enters a populated area and is not afraid of people, it is usually rabid;
- It is necessary to follow the rules for keeping pets and to carry out routine vaccinations against rabies within the established deadlines.
We remind you that rabies is a disease that causes severe damage to the nervous system, is incurable, and ends in death. lethal.
Rabies can only be prevented through immunization.
Let's be responsible! Let's vaccinate our pets!
For reference:
In 2024, the number of people's appeals to medical institutions for injuries caused by animals increased 1.5 times in the Kharkiv region. The largest percentage of injuries was received from dogs and cats, more than half of which have owners. Almost a third of the victims received injuries from stray animals. Bites of people by foxes, martens, rats and other animals were recorded. At the same time, over the past period of this year, rabies was laboratory confirmed in 66 animals. Most of them are domestic: cats, dogs, cattle, and only a quarter are stray or wild. For comparison: in 6 months of 2023, rabies was confirmed in only 5 animals.
In the Chuguiv district, 12 laboratory-confirmed cases of animal rabies were registered in 6 months of 2024, including 4 dogs, 5 cats, and 3 foxes.
92 people sought medical care for injuries caused by animals, including 24 people bitten by stray animals and 6 people bitten by animals with confirmed rabies. 37 people received a full course of vaccination.
Department of Epidemiological Surveillance (Observation) and Prevention of Infectious Diseases
Chuguyiv branch of the State Institution "Kharkiv Central Regional Center for the Prevention of Diseases" of the Ministry of Health