Do you live with children at home? If so, you need to be a bit wary of rabies. This disease will easily infect the child if you live with pets or many wild animals that roam in your area of residence.
If the child has rabies, the symptoms include fever, headache, excessive salivation, convulsions, difficulty swallowing (including saliva itself), even to coma. The symptoms of rabies are only seen after at least 5 days of contact with animals that carry the rabies virus .
Rabies is indeed considered rare in Indonesia (less than 15 thousand cases per year) and is not transmitted between humans. Transmission is common through saliva or the bite of an insect carrying the rabies virus to human wounds.
If left untreated, rabies can cause death. Therefore, it is better for you to prevent rabies early on for children at home. The following are some tips that the Cigna Team has summarized specifically for you.
1. Rabies Vaccine
Rabies can be prevented by administering a rabies vaccine. This vaccine is given to your pet. For humans, usually people who need to be vaccinated are those who have a high risk of developing this disease, such as veterinarians or laboratory researchers related to animals. If you and your child want to be vaccinated too, you can try to consult the vaccine schedule at the nearest hospital.
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2. Be Careful Before Having a Pet
If you plan to have a pet, make sure the animal has a clear origin. Ask the previous owner or pet shop in detail where you will buy pets about health conditions and treatments that have been taken, including vaccines that have been given to prospective pets.
3. Limit Contact with Wild Animals
Children tend to have high curiosity, so they will easily approach the wild animals they like. Teach your child about the limits associated with wild animals, including what to do if you have been in contact with wild animals (for example, must wash hands thoroughly).
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4. Pet Sterilization
If there are wild animals in your area, it is not impossible for them to make contact with your pet. Limit the possibility of contact to prevent uncontrolled breeding, or sterilize your pet.
5. Don’t Bring Wild Animals
One thing that is sometimes often missed is you or a child who brings wild animals directly into a place to live, especially animals such as dogs and cats that do have cute postures and faces. As mentioned in the previous points, limit contact and cultivate awareness not to invite wild animals to your place of residence.
These are some tips on preventing rabies for children that you need to know. If you or your child has a bite or scratch from an animal suspected of being sick or has rabies, clean the wound immediately and consult a doctor for further treatment. This disease is more difficult to treat when the symptoms have begun to appear. Use Cigna Proteksi Sehat insurance products to add protection to your body and family’s health.
