All About Positive Health

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A patient having low grade fever ,headache,malaise and some amount of cough usually not given much importance thinking it to be common cold or some minor viral fever.But if has a history of exposure to the bite or saliva contact of an unimmunized domestic pet like
dog,rabbit,monkey,cat or mongoose or an exposure to wolf ,monkey or jackel has to be viewed seriously.If these symptoms occur near about the 10th day of such exposure it adds weight to warrant a close observation for Rabies.If it is so the patient will go to the next phage of the disease i.e.forgetfulness,stiffness,loss /reduced sensation on some part of body,muscle twitching and hypersensitivity to cold ,even gentle breeze ,sound or even to gentle
touch.

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The classical symptom of hydrophobia is seen about more then 50% of cases and is diagnostic.Here the patient becomes afraid of even the sight of water leave aside the drinking of it.There after the patient goes to convulsions,coma and dies usually of respiratory arrest.


It is very much painful to watch the site and diagnose the disease as cure is a remote possibility.
After about 10 days to 1 year of contact with rabid animal , depending the virus load,site of injury and immunization status the victim the disease may manifest.The mean time is around 2 months.This rabies virus travels along the nerve tissue to the Grey matter of brain to multiply there and come back to periphery to manifest.There occurs severe spasm of wind pipe making it difficult to take respiration.

First aid includes through washing, using soap water and if cetrimide solution is available it is good.Immunization for Tetanus and some antibiotics and dressing of the wound are required.Then specific treatment should be sought .It is in form of passive immunization by Rabies Immunoglobin(RIG) according to the assessment of the doctor.Active immunization by HDCV(Human Diploid Cell Culture Vaccine) is by far the best and lack many adverse effect of other available vaccines.Other vaccines include a Vera cell/Chick embryo cell culture vaccine.The sheep brain culture vaccine is no longer preferred.The vaccine is taken in intramuscular route on 0,3,7,14,21 to 30 and another on 90th day.Day 0 means the day of bite or when the person first reports.

A Rabies Patient

Those persons are at the risk of contact(occupational Hazard) such as veterinary people should get immunized with 3 doses and booster on 2nd year for their protection.
Useful tips is to restraint the suspected animal after the bite ,if feasible.And keep under observation for 10 days in which period mostly they die or show symptoms of disease in them.They should not be killed in anger immediately after bite.If they show symptoms of disease or die their brain should be sent for recovery of virus to confirm the disease in them.
It is also seen that some healthy carrier animals are also there.So I think it is better if one is immunized than to wait for other things.Immunization of pet is an important step for animal lovers and persons having occupational hazard.

Rabies spreads from the bite of rabid animals.The disease is seen in animals like monkey,dog,jackel,cat and  mongoose etc..The cardinal sign of an animal becoming rabid is running amoke or melancholia .Once affected usually dies around tenth day.But sometimes healthy carriers are found.That is why it is suggested to immunise the pets for rabies and if not and bitten by them one should get rabies vaccine.This is because prevention is only satisfactory not the treatment.
Apart from this as the mouth contains various types of bacterias and viruses sepsis may occur at the site of bite.Immunization against tetanus is also recommended along with Antibiotics to prevent sepsis.The wound if not large enough is left open and if large needs repairing should be done with infiltration of anti-rabies immunoglobin.
Previously when sheep brain culture vaccines were being used the dose schedule was basing on the classification of type of bite i.e.class one to class three.That vaccine had a lot of adverse reaction and no longer used. Now-a-days very good vaccines are available with minimal side effects if at all.
The doses are almost same for any class of bite.Human diploid cell culture vaccine is by far the best.
Immunization of pets and preventive treatment are the key to beat Rabies. 

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Measles a communicable disease spreading in air from the patient, usually affects children below 5 ears of age.Begins as symptoms of common cold or flu without a clue to the disease in particular.Around 5th day of fever patient develops rashes first behind the ear ,inside the mouth on on cheek mucosa and gradually spreads to chest and trunk.Patient feels great prostration due to high fever.The characteristic rashes are diagnostic.It may subside without much problem but may become dangerous.The main complications are bleeding from the conjunctiva,respiratory infection,diarrhea ,pancreatitis and   much dreaded encephalitis.Here patient has to be hospitalised and treated in isolation.Outcome may become fatal sometimes.
Good vaccine coverages is available in single or in combination and should be given around the age of 9 to 11 months.In India measles vaccine is a part of Universal Immunization Programme and provided  free. Sometimes some adverse reaction do occur after the immunization and baby should be observed at least for two hours after immunization for immediate reaction.
Sometimes measles may affect the immunized but in that case it is in much of it’s minor form called abortive measles. 
Maintainance   of cold chain is the key to successful immunization.But in India measles do occur may be for non immunization of babies for various reasons.
So prevention is better than cure.

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