Rabies risk factors
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Syed Hassan A. Kazmi BSc, MD [2]
Overview
Overview
The most potent risk factor for the development of rabies is a bite from an infected animal. People that live in an area, or travel to an area that has a large incidence for rabies, are at a high risk for acquiring rabies from a rabid animal. Handling certain wild animals such as bats or raccoons will put a person at a higher risk.
Risk Factors
Risk Factors
The following are the risk factors for rabies:[1][2][3][4][5]
- Bites from infected animals
- Exposure to urine or other secretions of infected animals
- Organ transplants from infected donors
- The following individuals may have a higher risk of contracting rabies than the general population:
- International travelers
- Animal control officers
- Spelunkers
- Lab workers
- Injuries to the head and the neck region with open wounds may facilitate quicker transmission of the virus to the brain.
References
References
- ↑ “WHO | Rabies”.
- ↑ Fooks AR, Johnson N, Brookes SM, Parsons G, McElhinney LM (2003). “Risk factors associated with travel to rabies endemic countries”. J. Appl. Microbiol. 94 Suppl: 31S–36S. PMID 12675934.
- ↑ Gong Z, He F, Chen Z (2012). “Risk factors for human rabies in China”. Zoonoses Public Health. 59 (1): 39–43. doi:10.1111/j.1863-2378.2011.01416.x. PMID 21824368.
- ↑ Dire DJ, Hogan DE, Riggs MW (1994). “A prospective evaluation of risk factors for infections from dog-bite wounds”. Acad Emerg Med. 1 (3): 258–66. PMID 7621206.
- ↑ Gautret P, Ribadeau-Dumas F, Parola P, Brouqui P, Bourhy H (2011). “Risk for rabies importation from North Africa”. Emerging Infect. Dis. 17 (12): 2187–93. doi:10.3201/eid1712.110300. PMC 3311213. PMID 22185767.
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