Rabies: A Growing Threat

Rabies is one of the most lethal animal-transmitted diseases, killing more people each year than SARS, H5N1 Bird Flu and Dengue fever combined.

Rabies is a fatal disease caused by one of the many rabies viruses - and one of the rapidly increasing number of diseases that spread from animals to people.

Human deaths from rabies went up 40% between 1997 and 2011 - from 35-50,000 in 1997 to 50-70,000 in 2011 - mostly in developing nations. By comparison, the world's population increased from 5.84 billion to 7 billion in the same period, a 20% increase.

People are in a panic from Detroit to India and the Phillipines.

Despite evidence indicating viruses and bacteria play an essential role in maintaining life's balance on the planet - and that "disease" is a necessary part of evolutionary transitions - Big Pharma wants to eradicate yet another lifeform: the lowly rabies virus. For profit, of course.

Any animal can get rabies, but those that hang out in populated areas are of the greatest concern - like bats, squirrels and raccoons.

However, dogs can get rabies too, so the World Society for the Protection of Animals is working with Big Pharma to promote mass vaccination of dogs in countries where rabies is endemic.

In addition, developing nations are being urged to implement educational programs, mandate animal vaccination - and stock up on human rabies vaccines.

Rabies is an acute, fatal viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal resulting in impacts to public health, agriculture, and wildlife. Rabies costs governments and the people of North America hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

…..Despite implementation of aggressive rabies management strategies in many countries, rabies still results in 50,000 to 70,000 human deaths mostly in developing countries around the world.

…..Six people have died of rabies in Shanghai so far this year. Two thousand humans die of rabies every year in Bangladesh; twenty thousand die annually in India. ……

Traditionally, governments have attempted to control rabies by kneejerk reactions in the face of outbreaks, sending out death squads to shoot or poison all dogs in an area. Around twenty million dogs are killed every year in this way, yet still, rabies continues to thrive.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals is promoting an alternative global approach: mass vaccination of dogs in countries where rabies is endemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) World Survey of Rabies for the year 1997 gave an estimate of between 35,000 and 50,000 annually.

About Rabies [pdf]

DETROIT - Rabies 2011
Please help us spread the word about the upcoming seminar in Detroit. We are recruiting a team of experts to help us put up posters throughout the city to warn the citizens of the impending disaster and potential hazard posed to them and their safety. Please contact GSHCUSA Booking for more information about how you can help. We will be compensating the street team with attire and free admission to the event.

My personal favorite, (translations welcome):

DETROIT - Rabies 2011
In recent years, Detroit has been overrun by mass amounts of grey squirrels, black squirrels, & the elusive brown variety. With mass migration of these animals, comes the risk of rabies outbreak.

Well folks, the worst has happened and the plane has crashed into the mountain.

In the past year, we have seen a 67% increase of 33% of all rabies victims. Half of those victims are a close 21% of almost a quarter of Detroit’s population.

At the request of the Mayor, the 2011 Rabid Animal Blockade Institution Expo Seminar will be held in the city of Detroit this year. We’ve arranged with the CDC to have a special GREEN ZONE PERMIT and will be 97.5% sure that absolutely zero squirrels will be in at least three quarters of the park’s vicinity.

Sunday, July 31, carefully leave your house, and come directly to the refuge of Detroit’s New Center Park. We will be having live safety demonstrations, squirrel repellent and corn dog vendors, and a special surprise celebrity appearance to be announced.

World Rabies Day is September 28, 2011

Rabies Still A Threat
People and animals are infected by the rabies virus and die from rabies each year.

From the CDC Rabies Info site:

"Each year around the world, rabies results in more than 55,000 deaths - approximately one death every 10 minutes. Most deaths are reported from Africa and Asia with almost 50% of the victims being children under the age of 15."

…Rabies may be spread between animals and humans, wildlife and pets.

What You Can Do
The first step is to vaccinate your pets. Rabies is a preventable disease, but 100% fatal in unvaccinated animals. Visit the World Rabies Day site for more ways to be involved in promoting rabies awareness and eradication.

Eliminating man’s deadliest, yet preventable disease

Did you know that rabies kills more people each year than severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the bird flu (H5N1) and the dengue fever combined?

… “Yes, there are vaccines that could be given to both humans and dogs to prevent the risk of virus infection (they create an immune response against the rabies virus), but unfortunately, rabies is still on the rise in certain parts of the world,” reported Dr. Raffy Deray, program manager of the National Rabies Prevention Control Program.

… “Here in the Philippines, while the number may have fallen from the previous rates wherein deaths would range from 300 to 600 each year, as doctors we still don’t want deaths (around 80 have already been reported to the health department) considering there are inexpensive and easy ways to prevent it,” Deray said.
This was the reason Republic Act 9482 was enacted. Known as The Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, the law mandates both public and private sectors to avail of dog immunization, preexposure treatment of high-risk personnel and postexposure treatment of animal bite victims, free routine immunization of schoolchildren aged five to 14 in areas where there is high incidence of rabies and encouragement of responsible pet ownership.

With the ultimate goal of being declared as rabies-free by the year 2020, …

However, dogs can get rabies too, so the World Society for the Protection of Animals is working with Big Pharma to promote mass vaccination of dogs in countries where rabies is endemic.

Well that's... interesting. I wonder who might make money off this.

This reminds me of "Rant" by Chuck Palahniuk.

I got bit by a dog a few months ago and had to have the rabies vaccine. It was just a precaution, especially since they were never able to find the dog and test it. I had the worst allergic reaction with shot 4. Within 10 minutes I started to feel terrible, and in 2 hours I was covered in hives. My hands were swollen and I became delusional by the time I got to the hospital. Strangely, I never did have trouble with my breathing.

My point is that if you ever have to have the rabies vaccine, you can have a serious side effect even 2 weeks in. It sounds like that would be obvious, but I didn't even think about the possibility since I had never had a reaction to a vaccine before, and I thought I was safe since I was so far in. If there's a rise in fear over animals possibly having rabies, then I'm sure that there will be a rise in people needing the vaccine after being bitten. Its a weird vaccine, but normally doesn't have too many side effects. Just watch yourself, or anyone you know, if you/they ever have to have it. It can take awhile for its side-effects to show up.

Love all of the percentages. Need to be a math major to realize the danger.

4000 americans die every 1000 years? whats with that steve carril stat? the more you know? haha lol 4 americans die of rabies every year, yikes look out. Its all about education and health care access in third world countries like india.

reply to post by blivey


don't mean to be totally disrespectful, but I do confess my OP was pretty much tongue-in-cheek.

...world pop rose 20%, risk of rabies rose 40%. Meant this part quite seriously though:

"Despite evidence indicating viruses and bacteria play an essential role in maintaining life's balance on the planet - and that "disease" is a necessary part of evolutionary transitions - Big Pharma wants to eradicate yet another lifeform: the lowly rabies virus. For profit, of course."

What a load of fear mongering propaganda! If you search other sources I am sure you will find that the statistics you've quoted are exaggerated.

Rabies vaccinations are a SCAM.

Holistic veterinarian, Dr. John Fudens says "The vaccines, particularly rabies, are a political and economic scam being forced upon pet owners because they do not know the truth."


In this well presented article in Dogs Naturally Magazine (May 18, 2011), Dr. Fuden quotes from a widely used veterinarian's textbook and reveals another truth:



Current Veterinary Therapy by Kirk, the textbook bible for veterinarians in general, has an article on canine and feline vaccines by two researchers. Near the end of the article is a paragraph called Annual Vaccinations. It states “The practice of annual vaccinations lacks scientific validity or verification. There is no immunological requirement for annual vaccinations. The practice of annual vaccinations should be considered of questionable efficacy unless it is used as a mechanism to provide an annual physical examination or is required by law.” Sure, if we can’t manipulate you with annual vaccinations let’s pass a law to get you into the office. Nice trick!


www.abovetopsecret.com...

There are also herbal remedies for rabies such as elecampane.

reply to post by Alethea

Rabies vaccinations are a SCAM.

Yep. That's what I said, pretty much.

Congratulations on passing the reading comprehension test.

reply to post by soficrow


I agree. Our bodies are designed to fight off harmful and unwanted organisms...If we eradicate all of those organisms we kill our immune system in the long run. Case in point, my son just started school after being with only me or his father for 4 yrs. No daycare or babysitters. We have been sick 4 times in 3 weeks. Not having him exposed any as a toddler left him and us vulnerable to every bug from the children in his pre-k class...

I watched a documentary on virus's a few years back and they said the problem with rabies is that is is the most deadly virus known to man. It has the highest mortality rate for untreated patients of any known virus. Some people say ebola is the worst but that as a 88% mortality rate. The experts in the documentary said rabies was the only virus that had a 100% mortality rate for untreated victims. I just checked that up and on wiki it says that there has been 1 person who has survived infection without treatment. So it probably has a mortality rate of something like 99.999% or higher for untreated victims.

This is one virus the world can do without.

My dog gets his rabies shot every Spring. They have a day every year when anybody who shows up can get their animals vaccinated against rabies for only $7. The local veterinarians team up to do it every year, with $1 from each vaccine going to Heartbeats of Hope. It's necessary to have dogs and cats vaccinated if you live inside the city limits of most places and it's a great deal as you get the shot for $1 above cost, that dollar goes to charity, and you don't have to pay for an expensive vet visit to get your pets immunized.

I have no choice but to get my dog vaccinated as (1) I live inside the city limits where it is law and (2) my dog likes to eat raccoons and squirrels on a regular basis!

reply to post by PhoenixOD

...the documentary said rabies was the only virus that had a 100% mortality rate for untreated victims. ...it probably has a mortality rate of something like 99.999% or higher for untreated victims.

That 99.99% mortality rate is for victims who develop symptoms - and represents only 0.01% of the human population. Rabies is endemic in several heavily populated countries - most likely, lots of people are infected who do NOT develop symptoms.

Originally posted by soficrow
reply to post by PhoenixOD

 

...the documentary said rabies was the only virus that had a 100% mortality rate for untreated victims. ...it probably has a mortality rate of something like 99.999% or higher for untreated victims.

That 99.99% mortality rate is for victims who develop symptoms - and represents only 0.01% of the human population. Rabies is endemic in several heavily populated countries - most likely, lots of people are infected who do NOT develop symptoms.

Ive been reading up on rabies after reading your last message as i'm no expert and only know what the doctors at the London Hospital for Tropical Diseases said on the documentary and i cant find any data that says how many people go on to the symptomatic stage so im assuming they all do eventually if untreated. It seems that once the disease is symptomatic the mortality rate is 99% EVEN if treated. The reason that this is not a world wide pandemic is that its hard to transmit between humans and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) treatment is said to be 100% effective if started immediately.

For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death.

The period between infection and the first flu-like symptoms is normally two to twelve weeks, but can be as long as two years. Soon after, the symptoms expand to slight or partial paralysis, cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, agitation, abnormal behavior, paranoia, terror, hallucinations, progressing to delirium.

After a typical human infection by bite, the virus enters the peripheral nervous system. It then travels along the nerves toward the central nervous system. During this phase, the virus cannot be easily detected within the host, and vaccination may still confer cell-mediated immunity to prevent symptomatic rabies. When the virus reaches the brain, it rapidly causes encephalitis. This is called the prodromal phase, and is the beginning of the symptoms. Once the patient becomes symptomatic, treatment is almost never effective and mortality is over 99%. Rabies may also inflame the spinal cord, producing transverse myelitis.

It is highly recommended that PEP be administered as soon as possible. Begun with little or no delay, PEP is 100% effective against rabies. In the case in which there has been a significant delay in administering PEP, the treatment should be administered regardless of that delay, as it may still be effective. If there has been a delay between exposure and attempts at treatment, such that the possibility exists that the virus has already penetrated the nervous system, the possibility exists that amputation of the affected limb might thwart rabies, if the bite or exposure was on an arm or leg.

Transmission between humans is extremely rare. A few cases have been recorded through transplant surgery.

In unvaccinated humans, rabies is usually fatal after neurological symptoms have developed, but prompt post-exposure vaccination may prevent the virus from progressing. Rabies kills around 55,000 people a year, mostly in Asia and Africa. There are only six known cases of a person surviving symptomatic rabies, and only one known case of survival in which the patient received no rabies-specific treatment either before or after illness onset.

Source

This is certainly one virus that the world would not miss if it was completely eradicated.

reply to post by PhoenixOD


As I mentioned above, last year I was bit by a dog and had to have the human rabies vaccine. At the hospital, they told me that if I were to not have the vaccine and later developed symptoms, then there was nothing they could do. Yes, I know, that's me trusting public heath care. But the doctor and nurses weren't messing about with the possibility that I could have been bitten by an infected dog. They gave me the shots as quickly as I could have them, and we had to call the county health department to learn more about the rest of the vaccines (it's given in a series). The county was also on top of everything. They wouldn't even give us the vaccines until they had the information of my primary care doctor (who administers the rest of the vaccine, that is if they agree to it, so of them don't). They wouldn't even charge us or our insurance until the vaccines were over, because they didn't want a lack of money to prevent me from having the vaccines.

Again, I know this is the public health care system of the US, and it has major shades of Big Pharma influence. But I still have doubts that rabies, at least in humans, could be anything less that serious.