□ DOG BITE
A person may be bitten by a domestic dog or a stray dog. A domestic dog may or may not be immunized against rabies. If it is immunized, there is no risk of rabies in the victim. If it is not immunized, it can contract rabies from a rabid dog, and then its bite is dangerous.
Rabies is a viral disease found in dogs, and also in other animals like rat, cat, fox, wolf etc. A human being can get it by bite of any of these animals, and also by licking of a rabid dog, if there is a cut in the area licked. A rabid dog may be restless, barking, and biting or it may be quiet. A quiet dog is more dangerous than a restless dog, because no illness is suspected in it. Incubation period of the illness is 10 days to 1 year. Untreated victim is likely to develop rabies. Rabies (hydrophobia) is a fatal illness. Features of rabies after a dog bite are as follows.
1. There is a history of bite.
2. Discomfort and pain are present locally.
3. Headache, nausea and vomiting develop soon.
4. Agitation, confusion and hallucination follow.
5. There is an intense fear of drinking water, because that causes spasm of throat muscles and severe pain.
6. There is foaming at the mouth.
7. Respiratory paralysis develops later.
First-aid
1. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap or detergent and water.
2. Shift the patient to hospital immediately for antirabies vaccination and local treatment of the wound.
3. Apply an antiseptic cream locally.
4. The dog should be kept under observation for ten days. If the dog remains healthy then there is no risk to the victim. If the dog gets rabies, the victim is at risk, and needs rabies vaccine.
Prevention of rabies
1. Any case of rabid dog bite health authorities.
2. All pets should be vacci¬nated.
3. Stray dogs should be elimi¬nated.
□ CAT BITE
Generally a cat does not bite a person unless provoked. The injuries caused by a cat are bites or scratches by its nails. The condition is not very serious unless the cat has rabies.
First-aid
1. Wash and dress the wound.
2. Send the victim to a doctor to get an injection of tetanus toxoid for prevention of tetanus.
3. Watch out for features of rabies in the cat.
RAT BITE
Rats are found in the house, garden, farm, gutter, and jungle. Generally they live in dirty places so the places scratched by them get easily infected. They can spread a dangerous disease called plague. Send the victim of a rat bite to a hospital immediately.
FISH BITES
Jelly fish and sting ray fish can harm the human beings by stinging. Their stings are located on the lower border of their tails. The stings of these fishes are quite painful but never fatal. The condition is diagnosed by the following features.
1. The jelly fish generally stings on the hand or feet.
2. The victim is uneasy.
3. There is local pain.
4. The sting of the fish breaks in the tissues bitten.
5. The local area looks blue or black.
First-aid
1. Remove the sting by scratching the skin, if it is seen on the surface.
2. Wash and dress the wound.
3. Apply cold compress of ammonia and water to relieve pain.
4. Shift him to a hospital immediately if there is no relief in spite of the treatment given.