The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1916-02-19
PREVENTION OF RABIES
Ways in Which Persons May Be
Infected With the Virus
Measures of Precaution


mails. The method is usually by bit
ing. 1t is known that the virus or
infectious agent is contained in the
saliva of the animal suffering from
the disease. Any person who gets
| the saliva or slobbers of such an ami
NAL into his body runs the risk of be-
coming himself infected. This trans
ference of the saliva may occur
| either through a bite or through get
ting it into a fresh, open wound, no
matter how small that wound may
be. All methods for the prevention
of the disease in the human are
based upon efforts to prevent the
t~ransference of this saliva from a
rabid animal to the human.
The problem varies according to
the locality. In cities the Infected
animal is usually a household pet,
either dog or cat. On the range or
on the ranch, to the danger of these
household pets, is added the posi-
bility of infection from stock and
wild animals, such as the coyote and
bob-cat. Those people who live on
the range or on farms have, there
fore, several factors to control if
they are to escape infection. In the
spread of the disease by the coyote,
stock are more apt to get the dis
ease. inasmuch as people can usual
ly protect themselves. unless per-
chance they are attacked while they
are asleep. The chief danger to
people is through pet animals and
from stock. But it must be remem-
bered that in skinning coyotes and
other wild animals for their pelts,
great care should be taken to pre-
vent the saliva from getting on the
hands. People on farms frequently
have wounds on their hands that are
unnoticed. Practical prevention is
to wear impervious gloves, prefer
ably of rubber.
The danger of stock injecting the
human lies in the fact that frequent
ly the symptoms of rabies are mis-
taken for those of other diseases.
The animals may appear constipated
or suffering from a chill. In admin
istering medicine to combat these
conditions, the hands may beput into
| their mouths. Sometimes one will
| put his hand into the mouth of the
animal to see if it is cold when it is
| thought to be suffering from a chill.
| Sometimes a dog will act as though
it had a bone in his throat and at
tempts will be made to extract it.
1t should be remembered that in a
country where rabies is frequent all
these procedures are dangerous, mas
much as the possibility of the symp.
toms being those of rabies is very
great. The motto should be, Keep
your hands and fingers out of the
animals mouths"
In those portions of the State where
the disease has already appeared, any
I pet animal that is known or suspect
ed of having been fighting with a
coyote, should be Immediately shot.
No new dogs or cats should be al
lowed on the premises unless they
have been guaranteed for a period
of at least six months. There is only
one method of controlling the dog
that will surely protect its owner and
his family from possible infection.
Keep it securely and adequately muz-
zled until the prevalence Of the dis
ease has been very considerably di-
minished or is entirely eliminated.
Muzzles of this kind are easy to get,
are not uncomfortable to the dog,
and through them it is possible to
feed and water the dog without
removing the muzzle. The danger
is not entirely through the owners
dog alone but also through the neigh.
boris dog. 1t is definately known
that one of the symptoms Of the dis.
ease in dogs is a tendency to wander
or run over very considerable dis
tances. II is therefore not ONLY nee.