Rabies is a viral infection that primarily spreads through a bite from an infected animal. Without early treatment, it is usually fatal. It is an RNA virus of the rhabdovirus family that can affect the body in one of two ways. It can enter the peripheral nervous system directly and migrate to the brain. It can also replicate within muscle tissue, where it is safe from the host’s immune system. From here, it enters the nervous system through the neuromuscular junctions.
Once inside the nervous system, the virus produces acute inflammation of the brain. Coma and death soon follow. There are two types of rabies. The first type, furious or encephalitic rabies, occurs in 80% of human cases, and a person with it is more likely to experience hyperactivity and hydrophobia. The second type, called paralytic or “dumb” rabies, causes paralysis as a dominant symptom. Know the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment for rabies below.
Rabies Symptoms In Humans
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of rabies include:
Fever.
Tiredness (fatigue).
Bite wound burning, itching, tingling, pain or numbness.
Cough.
Sore throat.
Muscle pain.
Nausea and vomiting.
Diarrhea.
Agitation and aggression.
Furious symptoms
Restlessness.
Seizures.
Hallucinations.
Muscle twitching (fasciculations).
Fever.
Racing heart (tachycardia).
Fast breathing (hyperventilation).
Excessive salivation.
Two different-sized pupils (anisocoria).
Facial paralysis (facial palsy).
Fear of water/drinking (hydrophobia).
Fear of air being blown in your face/drafts (aerophobia).
Delirium.
Paralytic symptoms
Fever.
Headache.
Neck stiffness.
Weakness, especially starting from the body part that was bitten and progressing to other body parts.
Tingling, “pins and needles” or other strange sensations.
Paralysis.
Coma.
What Causes Rabies?
The rabies virus causes a rabies infection. The virus spreads when an infected animal bites a person and the main culprit is the saliva of infected animals. The virus spreads when an infected animal bites another animal or person. In rare cases, rabies can be spread when infected saliva gets into an open wound or the mucous membranes, such as the mouth or eyes.
How is Rabies Diagnosed?
If doctors are not certain that an individual received a bite from an animal infected with rabies, they must first exclude other conditions.
Healthcare professionals may first perform multiple tests without concluding the individual has rabies. Laboratory tests may show antibodies but these may not appear until later in the development of the disease.
Doctors could potentially isolate the virus from a person’s saliva or through a skin biopsy. However, by the time they confirm a diagnosis, it is often too late to act, therefore, the individual usually starts a course of prophylactic treatment immediately without waiting for a confirmed diagnosis. If a person develops symptoms of viral encephalitis following an animal bite, doctors should treat them as if they may have rabies.
Can Rabies Be Treated In Humans?
There's no cure or treatment for rabies, once it is established. Rarely. people survive rabies and the disease mostly causes death. If you think you've been exposed to rabies, you must get a series of shots to prevent the infection from taking hold.
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