How to protect yourself from rabies when rescuing animals? Animal rights activists explain
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Rabies is an infectious disease that a person can catch from a sick animal through a bite, scratch, or saliva getting on the mucous membranes. This disease affects the central nervous system and has a 100% fatality rate if help is not sought. You can get rabies from infected dogs, cats, squirrels, hedgehogs, foxes and other animals. Of course, this is no reason to leave animals in trouble. But in order to protect not only the wild animal, but also yourself, you should follow the safety rules. In the animal protection organization UAnimals, they told how to save animals so that they do not get infected with rabies, and what to do if you are bitten by an infected animal. Photo: seawhisper/Depositphotos How to avoid rabies? ❌ Never touch wild or homeless animals with unprotected hands! ✅ To take the pet, wear gloves or use a cloth. ❌ Do not treat a wounded animal on your own – that’s the business of veterinarians! An injured/contused animal may perceive your attempts to help as a threat due to stress and pain. The animal can behave aggressively and defend itself, says UAnimals. ✅ If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild or stray animal whose vaccination status cannot be established, you should immediately wash the wound with soap and water for at least 20 minutes and consult a doctor! Even getting the saliva of an unfamiliar stray and/or wild animal on damaged skin can be an indication for treatment. There are risks even if you have been bitten by a vaccinated domestic animal, so it is better to consult a doctor. ✅ In case of suspicion or infection of a person, he is shown an urgent course of anti-rabies vaccine. The need for vaccination or hospitalization is determined by doctors after an examination in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization. ✅ There should be five such vaccinations: on the day of the visit to the doctor (day 0), and then on the 3rd, 7th, 14th and 28th days. ✅ Rabies vaccine prevents the disease in 96-99% of cases. The vaccine is effective if the course begins no later than on the 14th day from the moment of the bite or getting saliva on the damaged skin. ✅ Rabies can be completely avoided if a person receives the necessary medical care after being bitten. ❌ It is categorically impossible to arbitrarily stop the treatment or violate the mode of behavior during it! We will remind you that earlier the Ministry of Health explained how to protect yourself from rabies if you were bitten by a pet. Read also: What is rabies and why it is not only about “the dog bitten”: symptoms, treatment, vaccination
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