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Cause:
Rabies virus.
Illness and treatment:
Initial neurologic symptoms include abnormal skin sensation or pain, often affecting the site
of the bite, and subtle personality changes. Later neurologic symptoms include seizures, excess
salivation, fear of water, delirium, agitation, and paralysis. Symptomatic illness is considered
to be universally fatal with a few notable exceptions: experimental treatment in this country
saved one young girl in Wisconsin (2005); Texas reported a case of presumptive abortive human rabies (2009).
Sources:
In Washington, bats are the primary reservoir. Skunks, raccoons and foxes are additional
reservoirs in this country. In some countries, dogs and other carnivores are the main reservoirs.
Rabies is transmitted when saliva or brain tissue contaminates the skin or mucosa. Person to
person transmission is documented only by tissue/organ transplantation.
Prevention:
Obtain post-exposure prophylaxis for exposure to a rabid or potentially rabid animal. Certain
high risk groups should have pre-exposure vaccination. Keep vaccinations up-to-date for all dogs,
cats and ferrets, avoid contact with unfamiliar animals, and keep bats out of the home.
Recent Washington trends:
Two human cases due to infection with the bat rabies variant of rabies virus were reported in
the past 50 years, one in 1995 and one in 1997.
2010:
No human rabies cases were reported.
Rabies is almost invariably fatal despite treatment;
post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) should be considered for exposed individuals.
Purpose of Reporting and Surveillance
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To assist in the diagnosis of human cases of rabies.
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To identify persons potentially exposed to a human rabies patient and provide counseling about
post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
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To offer PEP to others who may have been exposed to the same source as the patient.
Legal Reporting Requirements
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Health care providers:
immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction
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Health care facilities:
immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction
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Laboratories:
Rabies virus immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction; specimen submission
required - clinical specimen associated with positive result (2 business days)
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Veterinarians:
Suspected human or animal cases immediately notifiable to the local health jurisdiction;
animal cases notifiable to Washington State Department of Agriculture (see:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=16-70).
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Local health jurisdictions:
suspected and confirmed cases are immediately notifiable to the Washington State Department of
Health (DOH) Communicable Disease Epidemiology (CDE) (1-877-539-4344).
Last update
December 2011 |
