RABIES SCRIPT ( Phuc; rabid Ronnie)
Imagine being bitten by a dog, a seemingly minor incident. Days, months, or even years later,
you begin to experience symptoms—an unquenchable fear of water, uncontrollable muscle
spasms, and eventually paralysis. By the time these symptoms appear, it’s already too late.
This is the terrifying reality of rabies—a disease with the highest fatality rate in human
history, nearly 100%. Despite having a vaccine for over 125 years, rabies still claims more
than 50,000 lives annually. Today, I’ll explore why this preventable disease remains so deadly
and what can be done to stop it.
Introduction
(Slide 1: Title)
Good [morning/afternoon], everyone. Today, I’ll talk about rabies—a zoonotic disease that
continues to pose a major global health challenge despite being preventable.
1. Overview of Rabies
(Slide 2: Overview)
Rabies is caused by a neurotropic virus from the Lyssavirus genus (Rabies Overview).
Known for its high fatality rate, it has remained dangerous even though vaccines have existed
for over 125 years (The Prevention and Management).
Pathogenesis:
The disease spreads through bites from rabid animals or less commonly through open
wounds, aerosols, or organ transplants (Rabies Epidemiology).
Types of Rabies:
Encephalitic Rabies (80% of cases): Symptoms include hyperexcitability and
hydrophobia.
Paralytic Rabies (20%): Leads to flaccid paralysis (Rabies Overview).
Both forms are nearly always fatal once symptoms appear.
Transmission:
A staggering 90–99% of human cases are caused by dog bites (Rabies Epidemiology).
Incubation Period:
The incubation period varies greatly—from days to years—but is usually 1–3 months (C.
Rupprecht et al., The Lancet).
2. Global Spread and Contributing Factors
(Slide 3: Global Spread)
Rabies disproportionately affects Asia and Africa, with 95% of human cases occurring there
(Rabies 21st Century). India has the highest death toll, with 25,000–30,000 annual deaths
(The Prevention and Management).
Contributing Factors:
1. Inaccessibility: Rabies control efforts are limited in remote areas with poor
healthcare (Rabies Epidemiology).
2. Cost Disparity: Safer vaccines are expensive, so older, riskier ones are still used in
some regions (The Prevention and Management).
3. Shortages: Developing nations face severe shortages of rabies immune globulin
(Rabies 21st Century).
3. Impact of Rabies
(Slide 4: Impact)
Children at Risk: 40% of victims are children, as they often approach animals
without caution (Everything You Wanted).
Annual Death Toll: Over 50,000 people die globally each year (Rabies Overview).
Economic Burden: Rabies costs approximately $6 billion annually in treatment,
prevention, and losses (The Prevention and Management).
In India, only 1 in 6 patients receives proper post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), further
worsening the situation (The Prevention and Management).
4. Prevention and Treatment
(Slide 5: Prevention)
History:
Rabies treatments have evolved from superstitious remedies like incantations and amulets in
ancient times to Pasteur’s revolutionary rabies vaccine in the 19th century (4000 Years of
Rabies). Pasteur’s vaccine reduced rabies mortality significantly, marking a turning point in
treatment (Report on Pasteur).
Modern Prevention:
1. PEP: Includes wound care, vaccination, and immune globulin. The WHO
recommends a schedule of 4–5 doses over a month (WHO Position Paper, 2018).
o Intradermal vaccination is cheaper but less effective than intramuscular
methods (Rabies Overview).
2. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): Administered to high-risk groups
like animal handlers and travelers (Rabies Epidemiology).
Challenges in Treatment:
Once neurological symptoms develop, rabies is nearly 100% fatal (Rabies
Overview). Experimental methods like the Milwaukee Protocol have limited
success, with only six recorded survivors worldwide (Rabies Overview).
5. The Plan for Eradication
(Slide 6: Action Plan)
Goals:
1. Provide accessible rabies vaccines to everyone, especially in remote
areas.
2. Enforce strict pet vaccination policies.
Cost:
For a country like Vietnam, implementing this plan would cost approximately
$10 billion, including vaccine production and new infrastructure (Vietnam
Rabies Initiative).
Implementation:
Equip regional medical centers with vaccines.
Build facilities in rural areas to ensure immediate access.
Impact:
1. Reduce annual deaths.
2. Ease the global economic burden of rabies.
3. Alleviate public fear of the disease.
Conclusion
(Slide 7: Takeaway)
In conclusion, rabies, though deadly, is preventable. Through better accessibility
to vaccines and proactive global measures, we can significantly reduce its toll.
Thank you, and I’m happy to answer any questions.
