Altaf Ahmad

Heartbreaking to watch the recent video of a child who died from Rabies and did not tell his parents about the bite. Here are some important points to share with kids/parents to avoid the deadly consequences of Rabies 1. A bite, piercing skin, allowing saliva contact with body mucus/ blood can transmit Rabies. Can be from a bite of a dog, cat, bat, monkeys and even rodents. 2. The first thing to do is inform an adult about it so that the animal can be identified and restrained so that more bites are avoided. A rabid animal will die in 7-10 days. 3. Wash the wound under running tap water for 3-5 minutes, with gentle application of soap. DO NOT vigorously rub the wound as that may push the virus into the blood stream through more mucosal damage. 4. See a doctor within the first 24hrs for anti-rabies vaccine. If indicated then dosage will be on 0, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days or as per the Physicians advice. 5. Keep a watch on the animal for 10 days. If it dies within 10 days, treat the child more aggressively. Symptoms of rabies are fever, headache, excess salivation, muscle spasms, paralysis and mental confusion. Note - Scratches don't cause rabies. However if there is an open wound and the animal licks it then transmission is possible though rare. Petting a rabid animal does not cause rabies. It does not spread through air or droplets.