RABIESRabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes.

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort. As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation (increase in saliva), difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms.

Di Uruguay telah dikonfirmasi pada tanggal 26 maret 2014 terjadi wabah rabies yang telah tersebar luas dan memakan banyak korban. Wabah pertama terjadi di daerah Cerro Largo, Sierras de Aceguá, Seccional 5ª, CERRO LARGO pada tanggal 5 maret 2014. Berikut adalah data hewan yang terserang rabies berdasarkan data OIE per 1 april 2014

Berdasarkan artikel OIE, wabah ini berasal dari kontak hewan2 yang tertular dengan alam liar (hewan alam liar) yang telah terjangkit rabies sebelumnya, telah diketahui bahwa uruguay merupakan sebuah negara kesil di AS yang memiliki beberapa sungai besar dan sedikitnya satu lagoon yang notabene banyak dihuni hewan2 liar seperti

. Adapun pendapat dari beberapa epidemiologis mengenai wabah rabies ini “On 5 March, a private veterinarian was informed of the presence of animals with neurological signs in a livestock farm in Cerro Largo, 5th police section, Sierras de Aceguá. In this farm two animals had died with neurological signs. Samples were taken and sent to the official laboratory and the

diagnosis of rabies was confirmed. On 24 March, the Official Veterinary Services were informed of two other farms with animals with neurological signs in the same police section. In one of them, there were 16 cattle affected and in the other 6 cattle and a sheep. Samples were sent to the official laboratory and the diagnosis of rabies was confirmed. The Official Veterinary Services are identifying all susceptible population in a 25-km buffer zone (history of bites, of animal with neurological signs) as well as shelters of vampire bats colonies. The Ministry of Public Health conducted pre- and post- exposure treatment in people in contact with animals (field workers, laboratory staff and official veterinarians). The Zoonosis Committee worked in the outbreaks and around them vaccinating pets (dogs and cats).”