Merry Kathryn Mendenhall, age 9, of Thomasville, N.C, for her question:

HOW DO WE BUILD RABIES IMMUNIZATION?

First symptoms of rabies in a dog are irritability and restlessness. The throat muscles become affected and the dog has trouble swallowing and he drools from the mouth. The brain and spinal cord in the dog's central nervous system are destroyed  and the dog becomes vicious and bites.

One of the most important things you can do for your pet is to make sure that he has received an anti rabies shot from your veterinarian that will make him immune to the terrible disease.

Rabies is a virus produced disease which destroys the brain nerve cells in humans and animals. It's also called hydrophobia, meaning fear of water  so named because the disease causes paralysis of throat muscles and the victim, although thirsty, cannot swallow.

Dogs are the most common transmitters of rabies, although many domestic and wild animals may also carry it, including cats, raccoons, bats, skunks and horses. And while there is no cure for rabies, it can be prevented by having all dogs, cats and captive wildlife vaccinated yearly.

Immediate medical treatment is necessary if you are bitten by an animal. First of all, it will be necessary to determine if the animal has rabies. Then medical authorities can determine what will be necessary.

If the bite was from a rabid animal, the important thing to do will be to build up your immunity. Two treatments are available: vaccine, which is called active immunization, and serum, called passive immunization.

In the vaccine treatment, chemical and physical methods are used to inactivatelive virus for immediate immunization. These fixed live viruses stimulate the body to produce antibodies for protection. Treatment consists of from seven to 14 daily injections.

The same serum treatment is given when a person has been severely bitten on the throat, face or head by a rabid animal. The serum is most effective when given within 24 hours after the bite is received. A combination of the vaccine and serum treatment is often given.

Current medical research is providing many new findings and improved treatments in the field of rabies.

But the most important thing to remember is to see a doctor quickly if you receive a bite. It may mean that you will have to receive many shots to build up an immunization against rabies  although it is also possible that this may not be necessary