Any warm-blooded animal can be a source of infection for humans, but the epizootic situation is such that in Ukraine the main source - up to 60% - is foxes. Bites of badgers, raccoons, raccoon dogs, martens, ferrets, weasels, wolves, and bats are also dangerous; cats and dogs are most often affected by domestic animals.

The infection is transmitted by animal bites, donkeys, scratches, or wounds caused by objects contaminated with saliva and the brain of a sick animal. Less commonly, infection is possible when skinning animals with rabies, especially foxes. At high concentrations of the virus in the air, an aerogenic mechanism of transmission is possible; such a mechanism exists in the transmission of infection in caves from insectivorous bats and vampires in Latin America, as well as among laboratory workers in experiments with high concentrations of the virus.

In recent years, rabies has remained a constant threat to humanity in many countries and is one of the most important problems in both public health and veterinary medicine. In Ukraine, rabies among animals is recorded in all regions.

In recent years, there have been isolated cases of hydrophobia among humans in Ukraine, which were caused by the late treatment of victims of animal bites.

To prevent this particularly dangerous disease, therapeutic and prophylactic anti-rabies vaccinations are used, which is the only and indispensable method to save the patient.

The following data are taken into account when prescribing antirabies treatment information about the animal that caused the bite (sick, healthy, unknown, for which it is impossible to establish a 10-day observation), type and degree of contact with the animal (donkey, bite, contact, scratching of intact or damaged skin or mucous membranes, single bite vs, multiple bites), the type of animal (wild carnivore, domestic, agricultural animal) and data on the animal (how it was kept, whether it was vaccinated against rabies), the epizootic situation of the area where the bite occurred, the circumstances of the bite (provoked or not), the location of the bite. Depending on the above, a course of anti-rabies treatment is prescribed.

It is necessary to start the course of vaccinations as soon as possible. If you get a bite, do not hesitate to seek medical help, because this is the only way to save your life!