Experiencing These Symptoms? Alert You Get Rabies

Illustration. (Photo via Antara)

JAKARTA - Extraordinary rabies (KLB) events have been established in two districts in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The two districts are Sikka Regency and South Central Timor Regency (TTS).

There have been six cases of rabies deaths in the two districts during May 2023.

rabies observer who is also Secretary of the Rabies Committee Flores and Lembata, doctor Asep Purnama reminded residents to know the distinctive symptoms of rabies after cases of rabies-infectious animal bites (HPR).

"The characteristic symptoms of rabies are afraid of water and afraid of air. If you are afraid of non-typical light. Symptoms have appeared, you will die," said doctor Asep, as quoted by Antara, Saturday, June 3.

Doctor Asep explained the importance of knowledge about the typical symptoms of rabies cases to make people alert and immediately carry out the first proper treatment if there is a bite.

If there is a HPR bite, the virus will enter through the saliva and replicate at the bite site. The rabies virus will infect the nerve or peripheral nervous system, then move back and forth.

The virus then replicates and moves upwards towards the brain. Then the virus infects the brain and then moves from the brain through nerves to several tissues such as eyes, angles, and saliva glands.

"Once the virus enters through a bite, immediately wash it. High risk wounds, travel to the brain quickly, given SAR so that it can immediately contain or neutralize the virus so that it does not continue to replicate to the central nervous system," he explained.

Doctor Asep said that the transmission of the rabies virus could be cut off if HPR, especially dogs, had received the vaccine.

In addition, proper structuring such as wound washing and administering anti-rabies vaccine or anti-rabies serum as indicated is one of the steps to handle rabies.

"Rabies is indeed deadly, but it can be prevented by implementing a HPR bite. But if rabies symptoms appear, afraid of water, afraid of air, it is difficult. So there should be no symptoms," he reminded.

Based on data he conveyed, the highest cases of death due to rabies in 2019 were 15 cases.

That number decreased to five cases in 2020, then four cases in 2021.

However, the death rate due to rabies again increased in 2022 by nine cases. Then, there are six cases from January to May 2023.

"It's only been five months since this year there have been six deaths. We have to suppress this number," said the internal medicine specialist who served at the T.C. Hillers Maumere Hospital.