Rabies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rabies - Research Paper Example Different health organizations define rabies according to their respective perspectives. The Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDCP, 2010) define rabies as a â€Å"preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal† (par. 1). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2010) states its meaning as â€Å"a zoonotic disease (a disease that is transmitted to humans from animals) that is caused by a virus† (par. 1). While the Mayo Clinic (Mayo Foundation, 2010) avers that â€Å"rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals. The rabies virus is usually transmitted through a bite† (par. 1). Integrating these definitions, rabies is found to be a deadly but preventable disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans through the saliva of infected animals. The animals clearly identified to contain the dreaded virus range from raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes, cats and dogs, among others. As indicated in the definition, rabies is caused by a virus (of the genus Lyssavirus and family Rhabdoviridae) contracted through a bite from an infected animal. According to Fisher (2008, par. 9), â€Å"when the rabies virus enters muscles, it replicates locally and is then transported through peripheral sensory nerves to the spinal ganglia, where it replicates and travels up the spinal cord to the brain. The virus migrates to the gray matter of the brain and predominates in the neurons of the limbic system, midbrain, and hypothalamus. Efferent nerves transport virus to the acinar glands of the submaxillary salivary glands, where it achieves high concentration†. People who live in rural areas are most at risk in contracting rabies. Children, most especially, those who play in the streets are at a higher risk of being bitten by stray dogs. Further, medical practitioners, such as veterinarians and wildlife researchers or specialists, need to be vaccinated to