Rabies is a worldwide problem. Every year, about 60,000 people die from this viral disease. Germany has been considered rabies-free since 2008, and the last infected fox was sighted in 2006. In the fight against rabies, oral vaccinations of wild animals have proven to be particularly successful. However, when traveling abroad, it is recommended to take into account the spread of rabies there and, if necessary, to carry out the necessary protective vaccinations.
Transmission of rabies through saliva
The rabies virus is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals. This does not even require the infamous bite of the rabid animal. The smallest injuries to the skin are sufficient for the virus to enter the body. There, the pathogen multiplies and eventually attacks the nervous system. There is no cure for the disease. It is true that not everyone who is infected becomes ill. But everyone who falls ill must die. It is assumed that between 20 and 50 percent of people who contract the virus also fall ill with it. The treacherous thing about rabies is the long time it takes from infection to the onset of the disease (incubation period). Weeks and months can go by. Thus, apparently still healthy animals can already excrete the virus and infect other animals and also humans. But it is precisely this long incubation period that also offers an opportunity: anyone who fears that they have come into contact with the virus can still be vaccinated to prevent the outbreak of the disease. However, the vaccination must be given shortly after the bite.
What is the course of the disease?
The course of the disease is gradual. The first thing that becomes visible in the animal is behavioral changes. Wild animals initially no longer show shyness toward humans. Peaceful pets may suddenly begin to react aggressively and bite. Humans first complain of fever, headache and concentration problems. The bite site begins to itch. As the disease progresses, anxiety, raving fits, convulsions and constant salivation are added. This stage is called the “raging rage.” The reason for the flow of saliva is cramps in the throat that occur when the patient tries to swallow. These become so strong that even the sound and sight of water causes agony; the so-called hydrophobia (Greek: “fear of water”) develops. Because those affected eventually also become extremely sensitive to light, it is assumed that rabies also contributed to the creation of the vampire legend. This is because biting, fear of (holy) water and fear of sunlight are part of the legend of the bloodsucking undead. In the third and final stage of the disease, the so-called “silent rage,” the convulsions and seizures gradually subside, paralysis sets in, and the patient dies.
Oral vaccination for foxes and raccoons
In Central Europe, a strong effort has been made to combat wild rabies since the late 1980s. Switzerland was the first country to implement oral vaccination in foxes. In Germany, fox rabies has been controlled by oral vaccination since 1993. Initially, this was done with prepared chicken heads laid out by hand; later, machine-made baits made of fishmeal were targeted and dropped by aircraft using GPS navigation.
Germany considered rabies-free
Reported cases of rabies in wildlife in Germany have been reduced from a previous 10,000 in 1983 to 43 cases in 2004. After the last fox infected with rabies was reported in 2006, Germany has been considered rabies-free since April 2008 – at least with respect to terrestrial rabies. Other rabies species, which can be transmitted by bats, for example, still exist but pose little danger. Since 1977, there have been five deaths attributed to bat rabies throughout Europe. Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic achieved “rabies-free” status before Germany. The “problem zone” in Germany was especially Rhineland-Palatinate and the area around Frankfurt. In Hesse, the high density of settlements and the small-scale landscape made the application of rabies baits difficult. In Rhineland-Palatinate, which for a long time had no problems with rabies, repeated cases had occurred in 2005 because apparently infected animals had crossed the Rhine and were able to enter the long unvaccinated fox population on the left bank of the Rhine.
How the vaccination baits work
The so-called Tübingen baits, which were specially developed to combat rabies, are brown round objects that smell strongly of fish and contain liquid vaccine. Foxes and also raccoons, which proliferate in Germany, apparently take these baits well. The vaccine consists of live rabies viruses that have been rendered harmless. This is because only live viruses survive the gastrointestinal passage and lead to sufficient activation of the immune system. Anyone who comes into contact with a rabies bait should in any case consult a doctor. Although vaccines are subject to extremely strict regulations by the European Union and the World Health Organization (WHO), it is still safer to be vaccinated against rabies after contact with the live vaccine. The WHO also advises this.
Rabies a problem worldwide
Rabies is still ubiquitous in Eastern Europe, as well as Africa and Asia. Rabies cases in raccoons and bats are also regularly reported in the United States. Feathered bats are a species native only to the Americas, the vampire bat. It feeds exclusively on mammalian blood. Especially cattle belong to the prey pattern of the vampire bat. Up to 100,000 cattle succumb to rabies every year as a result of a bat bite. Human deaths per year vary depending on the region, but are at most in the double-digit range. Tourists from rabies-free zones often seem to have lost their fear of the virus. In 2007, a tourist died of rabies because he had taken a dog to the beach in Morocco. The animal was infected with the rabies virus and also soon showed the typical behavioral changes: The formerly peaceful dog began to bite. The girlfriend of the vacationer also got a bite from the sick animal. She, however, did not fall ill, while her friend fell into a coma and died after about two weeks in a French hospital.
Beware when traveling!
Worldwide, there are numerous so-called “hot spots” where rabies is highly prevalent. Holidaymakers traveling to Africa or Asia should therefore beware of picking up or even feeding seemingly tame animals such as dogs and cats. The risk of being infected by a stray animal is simply too great. When traveling to India, Thailand, Ethiopia or other areas with high rabies rates, the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine even advises people to seek precautionary vaccinations.
Who should get vaccinated against rabies?
In general, all people who have a lot to do with (wild) animals should get vaccinated against rabies. Even dogs and cats can only be protected by regular vaccinations. In Poland and the Balkans, for example, rabies cases still occur frequently and due to the open border traffic within Europe, an introduction of the disease to Germany is possible at any time. Abroad, the greatest caution is always required with seemingly tame animals. Especially children on vacation trips must be explained understandably that they may not touch or feed any animal if it is not safely vaccinated against rabies.
