By Kathy Sinkin, RN, CDE
Several months ago, a 6 year old New Jersey boy was attacked by a raccoon as he walked to school with his mother. The animal was later found to have rabies. Years ago the treatment for rabies required a multitude of painful injections (25 to be exact) which were injected into a person’s stomach. It got me thinking how fortunate for this little boy, although the physical and psychological scars will be with him for life, that today the treatment for rabies is much different. Today, the post-exposure treatment for rabies consists of four doses of vaccine injected into the upper arm and given over a two-week period.
Rabies is an infection caused by a virus. It affects the brain and spinal column and is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal. Animals most likely to spread rabies in the U.S. besides raccoons include bats, dogs, coyotes, foxes, and skunks. Symptoms include fever, headache, excess salivation, muscle spasms, paralysis, and mental confusion. Seek immediate medical attention after a bite or suspected bite. Once symptoms appear, it’s nearly always fatal. For more information go to www.cdc.gov.
Kathy Sinkin is a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program. She can be reached at kcsinkin@aol.com