What Is Rabies Shots for Humans?

What Is Rabies Shots for Humans?

Caused by a virus, rabies may have serious consequences for both humans and animals. It is mainly a disease of animals but humans can get it if bitten by an infected animal. Moreover, the virus may also transmit if you are in close contact with the saliva of an infected animal. It usually spreads by licks on broken skin or Mucus membranes, such as the mouth, eyes or nose. Rabies can also transmit from one person to another, but that only happens in rare cases. You can protect yourself by opting for rabies shots either before becoming infected or after getting infected. Keep reading to learn more about it.

What Is Rabies Shots for Humans?
Made from killed rabies virus, the rabies vaccine is used to prevent infection caused by the rabies virus. The active immunizing agent works by triggering an immune response, making your immune system produce antibodies to protect you against the rabies virus. It is important to understand that even though rabies shots are quite effective, they may not work for every person. Even if you have received rabies shots, you should consult your doctor if you experience rabies symptoms such as fatigue, pain, irritability, Headaches, seizures, fever, paralysis, or hallucinations after bitten by an infected animal.

When and How to Get Rabies Shots
There are different types of rabies shots for humans. For instance:

Preventive Rabies Shots

• How It Helps: As implied by the name, you need to take these vaccines before getting infected. They strengthen your immune system and help defense against the rabies virus.


• Who Should Get It:These vaccines are suitable for people who are usually exposed to rabies virus, such as animal handlers, veterinarians, spelunkers, rabies laboratory workers, and rabies biologics production workers. You may also need to receive rabies shots before you travel to a part of the world where rabies is common.


• How It Is Injected: You will get vaccinated in three doses. You have to take the first dose as appropriate and take another one after 7 days of your first dose. The third dose is required after 21-28 days of your first dose. Laboratory workers or those who are constantly exposed to rabies virus may require booster doses as well.

Rabies Shots After Exposure

• Who Should Get It:If you have been bitten by an infected animal or may have been exposed to the virus somehow, you should first clean the wound and get rabies shots for humans.


• How It Is Injected:You need to receive four doses of rabies vaccine if you have never received it before. You receive your first dose right away, whereas you need to take additional doses on the third, seventh, and fourteenth days. Your doctor will also give you rabies shot called Rabies Immune Globulin with your first shot.

Are There Any Side Effects of Rabies Shots?
Like other vaccinations, you may experience some side effects after receiving rabies shots for humans. Side effects may include:

• Most common side effects redness, soreness or swelling in area where you receive the shot


• Mild side effects like pale skin, nausea, wheezing, difficulty breathing, fast heartbeat, headache, muscle aches, abdominal pain, dizziness, pain in the joints, Hives and fever


• Rare, severe side effects like deafness and even permanent brain damage

You may consider taking OTC pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to deal with fever and pain. You need to call your doctor if you experience any severe issues after receiving rabies shots for humans, like

• Having a fever higher than 104°F;


• Experiencing prickly feelings in your toes or fingers;


• Having problems with eye movement, swallowing or speaking.

Who Should Avoid Rabies Shots
Before you opt for rabies shots for humans, you need to know when you should avoid receiving the vaccine.

• Never go for it if you have had an allergic reaction to rabies vaccine.


• Inform your doctor about any type of severe illness or infection you may have before receiving rabies shots.


• People with compromised immune system caused by HIV, Cancer, or Aids should avoid it.


• Talk to your doctor before receiving rabies shots if you are receiving treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, steroids, or any other treatment that weakens your immune system.


• What's more, you should avoid taking rabies shots for humans if you are pregnancy because vaccines can be harmful for your baby. If you are pregnant and get rabies virus, let you doctor decide whether you should take the vaccine or not.


• Avoid taking the vaccine if you are breastfeeding or inform your doctor about it first.

Rabies

Rabies






Rabies is a deadly viral infection that spreads through the saliva of animals that are infected. When the infected animal bites a person the virus gets directly into the bloodstream of him/her. There is every chance of receiving the infection if the saliva of the animal gets in contact with any open wound of humans. In the Asian countries, rabies is spread through stray dogs and in the USA it gets transmitted to humans via animals like bats, raccoons and foxes.

Facts on Rabies :

• It is unfortunately true that around 60,000 people are facing death each year due to rabies and this occurs often in Asian and African countries


• One out of three people die due to rabies in American states each year


• Due to vaccination and continued awareness the rate of rabies death is decreasing in the USA


• Every year about 15 million people around the globe are receiving vaccination post-exposure to rabies


• Rabies virus is contagious and easily gets transmitted to humans through the saliva of infected animal


• Often it ends up on death after the clinical signs of rabies become evident

Causes :

Rabies virus is the main cause of rabies infection. The virus would easily enter into the animal’s body to cause infection. Once the infected animal bites any person the virus gains entry into his body. The virus can also enter through human skin when the saliva of infected animal touches any open wound, skin burns, mouth or even through eyes. This can easily happen if the infected animal licks the man on the spot like cuts or injury on the skin. Rabies can spread to humans through mammals like dogs, cats, cows, goats and horses and the list also includes bats, monkeys, foxes, raccoons and skunks.

How the virus causes death?

Virus would remain in the site of exposure (skin cut or injury) till the incubation period. After this, the virus would enter the brain through the peripheral nervous system. From the brain it gets deposited to almost all parts of the body.

Risk Factors :

People who are in close contact with domestic animals (that are not vaccinated) are at high risk of developing rabies. People who frequently travel to rabies prone areas like African and Southeast Asian countries are prone to get rabies.

People who handle animals frequently like veterinary doctors, helpers and those involved in handling animal hides etc have high risk. If an individual has wounds in his neck or head, rabies virus can travel fast to affect the brain.

Symptoms :

An individual bitten by virus infected animal can develop first symptom within a week. Initially it would cause flu like symptoms that include fever, Headache, body pain and weakness. You would not suspect rabies infection since the symptoms are similar to flu. Rabies can attack humans in two possible ways. One is by attacking the muscular system. It would paralyze the muscle slowly starting at the point of bite and proceeding towards the entire muscles. Subsequently the person would develop coma and death.

Second kind of rabies (this is the most common type) would produce typical symptoms of rabies infection. The affected person would develop restlessness, anxiety, over-sensitivity, confusion, encephalitis (leading to development of strange thoughts and feelings), increased saliva production and fear of water. He may also develop difficulty in swallowing leading to dehydration. If the signs are severe, it would cause death. If you are not sure about bitten by animals, but still have the above symptoms, you need to seek prompt medical care.

Diagnosis :

No special test is available for detecting rabies virus. If you have some of the above signs and had been to animal exposure recently, your doctor would assume that you have received the virus and start the treatment soon.

Treatment :

Often, rabies infection is fatal, though few numbers of cases has survived. The only way to protect your health is to receive injection to prevent further infection. In case you know that you have been bitten by infected animal then you need to take prompt treatment in the form of series of injection. Prophylaxis is the first line treatment for rabies bite.

Rabies immune globulin injection is given to prevent the infection. Your doctor will give you a shot near the site where the animal has bitten you to kill the virus. This is followed by series of shots so that your body develops immunity to fight against the virus. A course of 4 injections is given for rabies infection over a period of 14 days. Second approach for treating rabies, is to find out if the animal has been infected. For instance if you have been bitten by domestic animals you can observe the signs of rabies infection.

Prognosis :

Often rabies infection is fatal as soon as the symptoms start to appear.

Prevention :

You can prevent rabies infection by taking good care of your pets. Vaccinate your pets regularly and take steps to prevent the entry of bats into your home. You can also get a shot of rabies vaccine if you are planning to travel to a place where rabies infection is common.