Over 55,000 people worldwide die from the rabies virus every year. Most of these deaths occur in Africa and Asia. Because the disease is completely curable when medical treatment is administered right away, there needs to be a priority put on educating people about how they can contribute to helping eradicate the virus.

Because it is imperative that an infected person or pet be treated promptly once exposed, it is important to learn and recognize rabies symptoms in dogs and other animals. These include:

• Behavioral changes, such as aggression may become apparent in normally docile animals or energetic animals may suddenly become docile.
• Biting or snapping at other animals or humans
• Licking, biting or chewing at the bite area
• Fever
• Hypersensitivity to light, sound or other stimuli
• Other rabies symptoms in dogs that manifest once the virus progresses include hiding, muscle paralysis, foaming around the mouth, weakness, and seizures.

Rabies symptoms in humans are similar to those in animals. The virus may remain dormant for a month to several months before manifesting any symptoms. Early symptoms are flu-like, lasting for several days. Later symptoms include:

• Fever, headache and vomiting
• Agitation, anxiety and confusion
• Excessive salivation and difficulty swallowing
• Fear of water
• Hallucinations and insomnia
• Partial paralysis

Rabies symptoms in humans signify that the disease has progressed beyond effective treatment. Once these are obvious, the victim can merely be made comfortable before succumbing to the effects of the virus. The rabies virus is most often spread through contact with the saliva of infected animals, primarily through bites. Pets, farm animals, and wild animals in particular are all capable of contracting the virus and spreading it to other animals as well as humans. However, you can protect your pets and family by:

1. Vaccinating pets
Ways to help prevent the risk of exposure include vaccinating pets, keeping them supervised while outside and away from contact with wild animals, and reporting strays. Avoiding wild animals is also advised, and if traveling abroad in areas where rabies is widespread or medical care is limited, check with your doctor about the possibility of receiving the rabies vaccine.

2. Keeping an eye out for symptoms
The vaccine is completely effective if given right away, and it is better to be overcautious than not acting at all. If there is any possibility of having received a bite from an unvaccinated animal, wash the bitten area with soap and water, and immediately visit your doctor. The first dose is a rabies immune globulin, which allows the body to reject the virus. Four additional shots are given over the next 2 week period.

3. Seeking immediate medical treatment
In areas or countries where there are many stray animals exposed to wild animals, rabies is a serious threat. Widespread discussion needs to be encouraged encouraging people to seek prompt medical care once exposed to the virus. Other steps to ensure the decline of the spread of this disease is by making medicines for vaccinating pets more accessible and implementing animal control policies.

Once simple education is made more available, the statistics of annual rabies deaths can become a statistic of the past.