10 Rabies Symptoms In Humans

By dr. okoye

Reviewed: Dr. Mera

Article Sources

Article Sources

• 1. http://www.who.int/rabies/about/en/
• 2. https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/transmission/exposure.html
• 3. https://blogs.biomedcentral.com/on-medicine/2014/04/07/rabies-does-it-have-to-be-fatal/

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Rabies is a zoonotic infection caused by the rabies virus of the Rhabdovirus group. The virus is transmitted from an infected animal to a human being through a bite or scratch. Domestic dogs and cats are common reservoirs and depending on the geographical location, bats can be a very common source of infection too. The rabies virus has four stages: the incubation stage, the prodrome stage, the acute neurological stage, and the late stage.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are over 30.000 deaths annually worldwide due to this disease. Rabies can be fatal if not treated immediately after the injury before any symptoms show. It has a very high mortality rate (up to 100%) if left untreated. The good news is that rabies can be prevented through vaccination. Vaccinating domestic pets can also prevent rabies by minimizing the risk of transmission and infection.

Symptom #1: Skin Inflammation

The only symptom during the incubation stage of the rabies virus is the wound on the skin from the animal bite or scratch. There must be broken skin for the infected saliva to pass through in order to cause infection. The incubation period for the rabies virus is typically twenty to fifty days. However, rabies symptoms may start to appear five to six days after the animal bite.

The location of the bite determines how fast the virus will take to reach the brain. The nearer the bite is to the brain, the earlier symptoms start to appear. Get a vaccination immediately after the animal bites you even if you don’t suspect the animal to have the virus. An early vaccination can inhibit the virus from advancing.