Rabies: Steps That Can Help Save Lives

With the weather warming up, we’re all doing more fitness and leisure activities outside, perhaps in remote areas, camping grounds, or parks. So it’s essential to know the risks for rabies. Prevention is key — but equally important is what to do in the case of a potential exposure.

While the risk is low, rabies remains to date one of the most lethal infectious diseases known to humans. It’s a viral infection transmitted via the saliva of infected mammals. If left untreated, the outcome is almost always fatal.

Ask your healthcare provider about rabies prevention before you travel to high-risk areas and seek immediate medical attention if you suspect you or your family has been exposed. It’s important to not only seek immediate medical attention after a suspected exposure but also, if vaccination is deemed appropriate, adhere to the treatment protocol  — thorough cleaning of the wound, immunoglobulin shots in the wound, and multiple rabies vaccine shots over the course of 14-28 days.