On Wednesday (29), the American singer Taylor Momsen was bitten by a bat on stage while opening for a concert by the band AC/DC in the city of Seville, Spain. In a publication made on Friday (31), the artist confirmed the bite and said that she is undergoing treatment against rabies with the anti-rabies vaccine, which prevents the onset of the disease in humans.
In Brazil, some recent cases have raised concerns about contact with bats. On Tuesday (28), the Municipal Health Department of Belo Horizonte confirmed the record of a bat contaminated by the rabies virus — the 11th in the year 2024 in the municipality.
At the beginning of April, there was the fourth record of a bat with the virus in the city of São Paulo.
The disease is one of the main threats brought by contact with bats. Not all animals carry the virus, but whenever contact is made, some precautions must be followed to avoid the onset of the disease and its serious complications.
What is anger?
According to the Ministry of Health, rabies is a serious acute viral infectious disease that can affect mammals, including humans. The virus that causes the disease is of the genus Lyssavirus. When the disease sets in, progressive encephalitis (inflammation in the brain that can appear during infections by viruses and bacteria) appears. Rabies leads to death in almost 100% of cases.
Domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, can also be infected and transmit the disease.
“Rabies is extremely important for public health, due to its approximately 100% lethality rate, as it is a disease that can be eliminated in its urban cycle (transmitted by dogs and cats) and due to the existence of efficient prevention measures, such as vaccination. human and animal health, the provision of human anti-rabies serum, the carrying out of focus blocks, among others”, says a note published on the Ministry of Health website.
The disease is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals. Thus, bites, scratches and licks from animals can be the entry point for the virus.
What to do when you come into contact with a bat?
If you are bitten by a bat, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. According to the Ministry of Health, the best strategy to prevent the onset of the disease is immunization with the anti-rabies vaccine before or shortly after exposure to the virus.
According to the Butantan Institute, one of the organizations that produces the vaccine, immediate treatment may also include care for the bite or wound site, cleaning the affected region, and passive immunization, carried out with the application of serum. anti-rabies and a concentrated and purified solution of antibodies, prepared with the serum of people already immunized against the disease.
“In the case of a bite, lick or scratch from a suspected animal, the first step is to find out if the animal is vaccinated against rabies and if it can be observed for 10 days, the maximum time for symptoms to appear”, says the institute in a statement. text published on your website.
What are the symptoms of rabies?
According to the Ministry of Health, the symptoms of rabies are as follows:
- General malaise;
- Small increase in temperature;
- Anorexia;
- Headache;
- Nausea;
- Sore throat;
- Numbness;
- Irritability;
- Restlessness;
- Feeling of anguish.
From the onset of symptoms, death can occur within a period of 2 to 7 days, says the ministry.
Source: CNN Brasil
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