Island Drug Podcast

Rabies is a viral disease that is spread to humans by the saliva of an infected animal. The virus infects the nervous system, progresses to the brain and then causes death. Rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms are apparent. One to three people die in the U.S. every year from rabies. Worldwide, more than 55,000 people die every year from rabies. This occurs predominantly in Africa, Asia, Central and South America. In these countries rabid dogs are still a major problem and access to preventative treatment may be difficult to obtain. For humans, it can be prevented almost 100% when post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is administered soon after the exposure has occurred. Please click here to downloading accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/Rabies.pdf