Once hydrophobia definitely develops, it is impossible to cure it, whether in dog, rabbit, cow or man. No human with a definitely developed case of rabies has ever been known to be cured. He dies, actually, like a dog.
"Make sure that children know to leave bats and other wildlife alone and keep pets away from wild animals," the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a statement. "If you see a sick bat or other sick animal, contact your local animal control agency."
Though dead humans can't come back to life, certain viruses can induce such aggressive, zombie-like behavior, scientists say in the new National Geographic Channel documentary The Truth Behind Zombies
From National Geographic News
I hope you are paying attention. This isn't just another dog walker story. There is real and not imagined potential that you and/or your dog may encounter a rabid raccoon in one of our parks. It is imperative that you make sure your dogs rabies vaccinations are current--especially if you continue to take the risk of leaving your dogs walking around off leash while you pay no attention to where they are and what they're doing. And please don't let those dad-blasted retractable leads give you a false sense of security. If you aren't keeping your dog at your side, you're taking a risk.
In parts of Vietnam, according to the national government, only one dog out of 25 is vaccinated, and there is a regular cross-country trade in dogs for the table. (Raising dogs for meat is popular in many countries, especially in southeast Asia and West Africa.)
A study in the journal PLoS Medicine last year described the deaths of two rabies patients in Vietnamese hospitals. Neither had been bitten, but one had cut up and cooked a dog killed in a traffic accident, while the other had eaten a sick cat.
In Asia, it is believed that eating dog meat enhances health and longevity. It is eaten throughout the year in the second half of the lunar month, particularly in the winter months, when it is believed to increase body heat.
In Viet Nam, dogs with rabies have been detected in dog slaughterhouses and workers at dog slaughterhouses are vaccinated against rabies as part of the national programme for rabies control and prevention. However, the private slaughter of dogs is relatively common in the country.
"We need to alert both the general public and clinicians about the risks around butchering and handling meat," says Dr Wertheim. "People should not handle animals that may be infected with rabies. Rabies can be prevented with a vaccine and people exposed to rabies can be helped with post-exposure prophylaxis, but this needs to be administered as quickly as possible following the exposure. Once a person shows symptoms, the disease is almost invariably fatal.
"Vietnamese doctors already consider dog slaughtering to be a risk factor for rabies transmission, but it is important that other health care workers and policy makers, both in- and outside Vietnam, are aware of this risk factor."
