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- An attack of rabies: how has the situation changed 140 years after the first vaccination
An attack of rabies: how has the situation changed 140 years after the first vaccination
Exactly 140 years ago, Louis Pasteur introduced the rabies vaccine to humans for the first time. Even today, such an injection remains the only way to combat this incurable infection. Tens of thousands continue to die all over the world. In Russia, not a single case of rabies in humans was registered in 2024, but over 500 animals that can transmit the virus to humans have become infected during this time. According to experts, as long as the disease persists in nature, it is impossible to relax. Mikhail Lebedev, head of the scientific and information support group for medical and preventive institutions at the CMD Center for Molecular Diagnostics of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, told Izvestia about what happens when a sick animal is bitten and what to do if a person finds himself in such a situation.
Rabies situation in Russia
140 years ago, on July 6, 1885, French scientist Louis Pasteur gave a man the first rabies vaccination. For the first time, people have received an effective tool to combat this dangerous disease, Mikhail Lebedev, head of the scientific and information support group for medical and preventive institutions at the CMD Center for Molecular Diagnostics of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, told Izvestia.
However, today it continues to be registered almost everywhere except Japan, New Zealand, Great Britain and Australia. Every year in the world, according to WHO, from 30 to 70 thousand people die from rabies, mainly in the South Asian region.
In the Russian Federation, according to Rospotrebnadzor, in 2024, the disease was not registered among people. But according to the Rosselkhoznadzor during this period, 533 cases of rabies among animals were recorded in our country (237 in wild animals, 296 in domestic animals), so there is still a serious risk of infection among Russians, the specialist said. Vaccinations for pets in the Russian Federation are free of charge. Against the background of reduced imports, Russian manufacturers are increasing the production of veterinary vaccines. According to the results of the first quarter of 2025, 345.2 thousand units of the drug were produced in our country.
— All mammals can carry rabies, but most often they are dogs, foxes, cats, rodents (rats and mice), wolves, raccoons, bats, hedgehogs. Farm animals are infected less frequently," Mikhail Lebedev said.
The causative agent of the disease, rabies virus, penetrates the peripheral nerves at an approximate rate of 3 mm /hour and begins to move into the central nervous system, causing irreversible changes in the nerve cells of the cortex and other parts of the brain. In the same way, the virus affects other organs, primarily the salivary glands. That is why the saliva of sick animals contains a high content of Rabies virus.
What to do when an animal is bitten
According to Mikhail Lebedev, if an infected person has symptoms of damage to the central nervous system, then death is inevitable — with rabies, the mortality rate is 100%. There is no specific treatment, and symptomatic treatment is ineffective when the disease has developed.
Direct contact with the saliva of an infected individual is necessary to infect a person or animal. And in order for the virus to enter the body, it is necessary to disrupt the integrity of the skin. This is exactly what happens when you bite. There is another mechanism of infection, in which infection occurs when saliva gets on damaged areas of the skin.
The incubation period for rabies lasts from 10 days to three months, Mikhail Lebedev said. The duration depends on the bite site: with a bite in the neck, head, face and with extensive, multiple injuries, the disease develops faster.
The only effective way to save a life is vaccination before symptoms develop, during the incubation period. It is the late request for medical help that is the main cause of deaths, he noted.
At the same time, life-saving vaccination has long proved its effectiveness. Her technique has changed: they no longer do "40 injections in the stomach." The current scheme looks like this: the first vaccination is on the day of treatment, then on the third, seventh, 14th, 30th and 90th days. Injections are given in the shoulder or hip, Mikhail Lebedev said.
— When visiting a doctor, it is advisable to provide specialists with the contact animal itself or information about its rabies vaccination. Upon receiving information that it is not infected, vaccination is stopped. But if the animal is wild or neglected, then vaccination should be carried out according to the full scheme," the expert specified.
If a potentially dangerous contact has occurred, then first you need to wash the wound with hydrogen peroxide or water, treat it with any antiseptic (in extreme cases, with a soap solution), bandage it or apply an aseptic bandage. After that, you should immediately seek help at the nearest medical facility, Mikhail Lebedev added.
Vaccination of pets
Rabies remains an urgent danger for Russia today, mainly due to low public awareness, so it is important to tell people about the danger of this infection, said Mikhail Bolkov, a researcher at the Russian Gerontological Research and Clinical Center of the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University of the Russian Ministry of Health.
— Of course, we don't have any epidemic, but the disease is common and we need to be on our guard. It is very important to monitor the vaccination of your pets, as they can be carriers. I am glad that for many years there has been a trend towards a decrease in the number of cases of infection. For example, in Moscow, this is achieved through edible vaccines for animals, which are distributed in different areas. This allows you to reduce the number of foci. But until it gets close to zero, it's too early to relax," he said.
Rabies has not disappeared from nature, so it's too early to talk about defeating the disease. Pets must be vaccinated, but a person should receive the serum only after being bitten. At the same time, new, more modern medicines for infection are practically not being developed, Andrey Prodeus, chief pediatric allergist and immunologist at the Ministry of Health of the Moscow Region, told Izvestia.
If a person is bitten, the animal cannot be disposed of — it must be monitored for ten days, doctors warn.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
