Dog Bite
A person may by bitten by a domestic dog or a stray dog. A domestic god may or may not be immunized against babies. It is immunized; there is no risk of rabies in the victim. If it is not immunized, it can contact rabies from a rabid dog, and then its bite is dangerous. Rabies is a viral disease found in dogs, and also in other animals like rat, eat, fox, wolf etc. a human being can get it by bite of any of these animals, and also by licking of a rabid dog, if there is a cut in the area licked. A rabid dog may be restless, barking, and biting or it may be quite. A quiet dog is more dangerous than a restless dog, because no illness is suspected in it. Incubation period of the illness is 10 days to 1 year. Untreated victim is likely to develop rabies. Rabies (hydrophobia) is a fatal illness.
Features of rabies after a dog bite are as follows.
- There is a history of bite.
- Discomfort and pain are present locally.
- Headache, nausea and vomiting develop soon.
- Agitation, confusion and hallucination follow.
- There is an intense fear of drinking water, because that causes spasm of throat muscles and severe pain.
- There is foaming at mouth.
- Respiratory paralysis develops later.
First Aid
- Wash the wound thoroughly with soap or detergent and water.
- Shift the patient to hospital immediately for antirabies vaccination and local treatment of the wound.
- Apply an antiseptic cream locally
- The dog should be kept under observation for ten days. If the dog remains healthy then there is not risk to the victim. If the dog gets rabies, the victim is at risk, and needs rabies vaccine
