โรคพิษสุนัขบ้า

Key Facts

• Transmitted via saliva through bite wounds — primarily from wildlife (bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes)
• Incubation: 3-8 weeks average (up to 1 year); dogs 21-80 days, cats 28-42 days
• Once symptoms begin, death occurs within ~10 days — no treatment possible
• Three stages: prodromal (personality change), excitative ("mad dog"), paralytic (drooling, paralysis)
• No test exists for rabies in a living animal
• 10-day quarantine: if animal alive after 10 days, bite could not have transmitted rabies
• ~250 feline deaths and ~50 canine deaths annually in the US
• ~55,000 human deaths worldwide annually
• Vaccination is core for all dogs (legally required) and all cats (recommended)
• Indoor pets not without risk — bats can gain access indoors
• Post-exposure: wash wound immediately with water; seek medical attention
• Veterinarians have 300x rabies exposure risk vs. general population