An Austin-based physician is advising the public on proper rabies treatment after several recent fox attacks in Hays County, Texas, left multiple individuals injured and in need of medical care.
Health officials confirmed that many of the victims required post-exposure rabies prophylaxis, a critical treatment following bites from potentially rabid animals.
Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is most commonly transmitted through the bite of an infected mammal.
Medical experts stress that immediate medical attention is essential after any bite from a wild animal. Post-exposure treatment includes a series of rabies vaccinations administered over a 14-day period, along with rabies immunoglobulin for patients who have never been previously vaccinated.
“Timely vaccination is highly effective at preventing the onset of rabies,” the physician said. “Delaying treatment could allow the virus to progress, which is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.”
The initial vaccine should be given as soon as possible, followed by additional doses on days 3, 7, and 14. Symptoms of rabies may begin with fever and headache, eventually leading to more severe neurological effects if untreated.
