Rabies remains one of the oldest and deadliest viral diseases globally. Despite being highly vaccine-preventable, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that it still kills 59,000 people, mostly in Asia and Africa, where access to vaccines or animal control strategies remains limited.
Approximately 2,000 people die from rabies in Kenya each year, with the majority of victims being children, according to the WHO.
Rabies is a Zoonotic (transmitted between humans and animals), viral disease that primarily affects the central nervous system.
This disease is transmitted when saliva from an infected animal, most commonly dogs, which account for up to 99% of cases of transmission to humans, enters the body of a human, or even other mammals, through bites, scratches, or licks on broken skin.
When rabies enters the body, the virus travels along nerves to the brain, where it triggers inflammation of the brain.
It then spreads back through the nerves to other parts of the body, leading to a range of neurological symptoms like agitation, confusion, paralysis, difficulty swallowing as well as fever and headaches, which can often be fatal if the victim is not treated quickly.
Barking Like Dog Misconception
A common misconception about the disease is that infected people literally start barking like dogs. In reality, however, the virus does not alter a person’s voice to resemble an animal’s.
However, some people may exhibit symptoms such as aggression or make unusual sounds due to the disease's neurological effects, which are often mistaken for animal sounds.
Prompt post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can prevent the virus from reaching the brain. This includes washing the wound and administering a course of rabies vaccine, or administering rabies immunoglobulin or monoclonal antibodies into the wound if indicated.
“If a person is bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal, they should immediately and always seek PEP care,” WHO says.
“Rabies, a neglected tropical disease (NTD), predominantly affects marginalized populations. Although effective human vaccines and immunoglobulins exist for rabies, these are often inaccessible or unaffordable to those in need,” it adds.
Types of Rabies
There are two forms of rabies, and the first one is the Furious rabies. This type of disease results in hyperactivity, excitable behaviour, hallucinations, lack of coordination, fear of water, and fear of fresh air. Death occurs after a few days due to cardio-respiratory arrest.
The second type of rabies is paralytic rabies, which accounts for approximately 20% of the total number of human cases. This form of rabies runs a less dramatic and usually longer course than the furious form.
Muscles gradually become paralysed, starting from the wound site. A coma slowly develops, and eventually, death occurs.
Eliminating Rabies
The tools to eliminate the disease, which include dog and human vaccination, community education, and timely medical treatment, are well known and highly effective for disease prevention, according to the WHO.
Rabies vaccines, are given in two stages: pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). In pre-exposure, vaccines administered include the Human Diploid Cell Vaccine (HDCV) and Purified Chick Embryo Cell Vaccine (PCECV).
It is usually given in three doses, especially to people at high risk, such as veterinarians, animal handlers, or travellers in high-risk areas.
In post-exposure, one receives rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), which is injected around the wound for severe exposures. One also gets a rabies vaccine, which is a series of 4–5 doses over 2–4 weeks, depending on the protocol used.
“Effective vaccines are available to immunise people both before and after potential exposures. As of 2024, there are only 3 WHO pre-qualified human rabies vaccines available globally: RABIVAX-S by Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., VaxiRab N by Zydus Lifesciences Limited, and VERORAB by Sanofi Pasteur,” WHO says.
