Jakarta, IO – The Ministry of Health has reported an unusual outbreak of rabies in two regencies in Indonesia, i.e. the Regency of Sikka and the Regency of South Central Timor, East Nusa Tenggara Province, early last month. This 100% fatal disease spreads through the bite of warm-blooded animals, i.e. dogs (95%), cats, monkeys, raccoons, etc. (5%) who become infected with the Lyssavirus. And the grim reality remains that 26 of Indonesia’s provinces are endemic to rabies.
“A region is declared to have an ‘unusual incidence’ of a disease if no cases had ever been found in the region before, but suddenly somebody dies because of it. If it’s an endemic area for the disease, an ‘unusual incidence’ signifies a number of cases at least double than that of the previous year in the current incidence of recording. As East Nusa Tenggara is a province divided between two islands, the distribution of rabies is also split: while many incidents have been reported on Flores Island, none have appeared in the Timor Island part of the province. If you are bitten and suspect you are infected, you must immediately report to a health facility. This will help you avoid the third stage of the disease, which is fatal,” declared drh. Sitti Ganefa “Efa”, M.Epid, Head of the Ministry of Health Directorate of the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases’ Zoonosis Task Force, in the “Rabies, How to Recognize and Prevent It” live IG session on Monday (3/7/2023).
At the same event, dr. Reisa Broto Asmoro reminded us that the incubation period of the disease from the time a person gets bitten by an animal tested positive for rabies, until the time symptoms appear, vary. “The incubation period may take as short as two weeks or as long as two years, with initial symptoms generally showing up after 3-8 weeks, depending on the strength of the person’s immunity.
A person may get bitten in April, for example, but the symptoms do not show up until June. Sometimes the incubation period is so long, a person forgets when did they exactly get bitten. The Lyssavirus is transferred through the saliva of an infected animal, or the virus might enter the body from an open wound. The appearance and severity of clinical symptoms depend on the type of virus, and on the number, depth, and location of bites. If they are close to the nervous system, such as on the waist or the head, the patient will begin to suffer from neurological symptoms sooner,” she said.
Three Stages
Patients infected with rabies will experience three stages. In the initial stage, they might only suffer from ordinary fever, debility, listlessness, headache, and/or sore throat. “In the following stage, the patient may suffer from neurological problems in the form of anxiety, fear, and a general tendency of responding aggressively to any stimulation. They might then suffer from phobias characteristic to the disease, i.e. phobia of water, light, or air. They might feel thirsty, but refuse to drink because they fear water. This is the third stage, one that usually ends with death,” drh. Efa said.
Read: Abiding By TBC Diagnosis And Treatment, The Key To Elimination
To avoid rabies infection, dr. Reisa reminds that the best prevention is by vaccinating any mammals we keep around us, “No matter what, it is good to keep pets like dogs or cats in the house, because it generates and sharpens sense of empathy – especially for children. Vaccinating pets will prevent them from catching rabies. Watch over the signs of infection among your animals, such as incessant, open-mouthed drooling, sensitivity to sounds, hiding, refusing to heed when called, tail tucked between legs, seizures.”
What if you still got bitten despite your caution?
“Immediately wash the wound with running water and soap. The rabies virus is bullet-shaped and coated with fat. The soap will dissolve the fat enfolding the virus, and 85% of the virus will die when washed off with ordinary soap. Don’t delay! It is a fatal disease, so immediately contact your nearest health facility to obtain injections of anti-rabies vaccine and serum before it’s too late,” dr. Efa stated. (est)