Preventing Rabies from Missouri Dog Bites
When most people think of being injured from dog bites, they consider the actual injury to the body. However, any time a human is bitten by an animal, there’s also a chance that the rabies virus could infect them. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every 10 minutes someone dies from rabies.
Rabies is a virus that is found in the saliva of animals and can kill both humans and animals. Most people who get rabies contract it because they were bitten by an animal with the virus. It’s important to recognize the symptoms of rabies, especially since when they appear, most people die within a few days of being infected.
Some early symptoms of rabies include fever, headache and weakness, which unfortunately can easily be confused with many other less dangerous illnesses. As the virus progresses, symptoms can include trouble sleeping, anxiety, confusion, hallucinations, agitation, drooling, difficulty swallowing, and a tingling at the site of the dog bite injury.
In order to avoid rabies, you need to avoid animals that carry the virus. Any animal that is acting sick, has problems swallowing, is drooling, bites at everything, or has trouble moving may be infected with the virus. Most of the time, rabies is found in wild animals, but domesticated animals can be infected with the virus as well. If you are bitten by a dog and you suspect the animal is infected with the rabies virus, seek help immediately. Wash the wound with soap and water, and then see a doctor.
If you have been bitten by a dog in Missouri, and have suffered serious injuries or were infected with rabies, you may be able to recover compensation from the dog’s owner. Contact the St. Louis dog bite attorneys at Page Law, LLC today at 314-322-8515 to learn more.
