Can a puppy bite cause rabies?

Although dogs are very cute, they are also naturally aggressive. They may be attacked or bitten due to discomfort or other reasons. If you are bitten by a puppy, you should first check the wound and deal with it in time. If you are not sure, it is best to vaccinate the puppy, because although the puppy is young, there is no guarantee that it does not have rabies.

Rabies, also known as mad dog disease, is an acute viral infectious disease that attacks the central nervous system. All warm-blooded animals, including humans, can be infected.

It is usually transmitted through bites from infected animals. It is generally believed that the infection is transmitted through the bite of a mad dog with white foam coming out of its mouth. In fact, cats, ferrets, raccoons, skunks, foxes or bats may also be sick and contagious. Sick animals often become very feral, and the virus in their saliva is passed from bite wounds to the next patient. It is extremely rare for rabies to be transmitted from one person to another. Most human patients with rabies will die from the disease. There was one case of recovery in 1971. In 2004, an undiagnosed rabies patient in the United States donated his organs after his death, and the three people who received the organs died of rabies.

Pathogen: The pathogen that causes rabies is the rabies virus of the genus Lyssavirus in the family Rhabdoviridae. The complete rabies virus is bullet-shaped, about 200 nanometers long and 70 nanometers in diameter. The entire virus is composed of the outermost lipid bilayer membrane, the structural protein shell and the RNA molecule that carries genetic information. It is generally believed that there are four different serotypes of rabies virus. The rabies virus has very weak resistance and will die quickly in the environment of surfactants, formaldehyde, mercuric chloride, acid and alkali. It is also extremely sensitive to heat and ultraviolet rays.

Clinical stages and manifestations: The clinical manifestations of rabies can be divided into four stages. 1. Incubation period: (average is about 4-6 weeks, the shortest and longest range can be up to 10 days-8 months). Depending on the individual's physical condition, the incubation period varies from a few days to several years. During the incubation period, the infected person does not have any symptoms. 2. Prodromal period: The infected person begins to experience symptoms such as general discomfort, fever, fatigue, restlessness, pain in the bitten area, and abnormal sensation. 3. Excitement stage: Humans: Various symptoms of the patient reach their peak, with mental tension, whole body convulsions, hallucinations, delirium, fear of light, sound, water, wind, etc. Therefore, rabies is also called hydrophobia. Patients often suffocate to death due to spasms in the throat. 4. Coma stage: If the patient manages to survive the excitement stage, he will enter the coma stage. During this stage, the patient is in a deep coma, but the various symptoms of rabies are no longer obvious. Most patients who enter this stage eventually die of exhaustion.