Rabies Alert-Cooper

rate:*****

Rabies Alert by Deborah Sanborn

This article brings a shocking new factor into travel in south america. This article deals with prevention and awarness and new programs to reduce and hopefully stop/control the spread of this virus.

The article starts with horrifying facts and statistics about deaths from rabies. Deborah says that no matter what, you will be exposed to the possibilites of rabid animals in south america, namely Vampire bats.
acting similairly to mosquitos, these mammals suck blood from victims including humans, and in turn may infect the host with rabies. deborah explains that there is no known cure for rabies once a human is infected. this alone is enough to bring you to the hospital for a vaccination. not only do bats carry this, but stray dogs in developing countries have been known to attack humans and infect them with deadly rabies, resulting in a slow and painful death, whcih can take up to 9 months! measures have been made in an attempt to stop rabies, but these have failed. researchers will air drop food laced with rabies vaccines but it is yet to work on bats out of a laboratory.

all in all this was a sobering reality for any traveler in the world just as it is interesting that with all of the scientific triumphs, a cure for rabies is yet to be discovered. I give this a solid 5/5 as it informed me and was extremely interesting. I reccomend anyone who plans to travel in south america to read this.

Deborah, Sanborn. "Rabies Alert" Outpost. March/April 2008. Print.