Diseases & Conditions

Rabies

Rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals. The rabies virus is usually transmitted through a bite.

Animals most likely to transmit rabies in the United States include bats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons and skunks. In developing countries of Africa and Southeast Asia, stray dogs are the most likely to spread rabies to people.

Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal. For that reason, vaccines to stop the rabies virus from infecting the body are given to anyone who may have a risk of contracting rabies.

Rabies doesn't cause any signs or symptoms until late in the disease, often just days before death. Signs and symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Difficulty swallowing
• Excessive salivation
• Fear of water (hydrophobia) because of the difficulty in swallowing
• Hallucinations
• Insomnia
• Partial paralysis

When to see a doctor
Seek immediate medical care if you're bitten by any animal. Based on your injuries and situation in which the bite occurred, you and your doctor can decide whether you should receive treatment to prevent rabies.

If you aren't sure whether you've been bitten, seek medical attention. For instance, a bat that flies into your room while you're sleeping may bite you without awaking you. If you awake to find a bat in your room, assume you've been bitten. Also if you find a bat near a person who can't report a bite, such as a small child or disabled person, assume that person has been bitten.

At the time a rabid animal bites you, there's no way to know whether the animal has transmitted the rabies virus to you. For this reason, treatment to prevent the rabies virus from infecting your body is recommended if doctors think there's a chance you have been exposed to the virus.

Blood and tissue tests are used to diagnose rabies in people who have signs and symptoms of the infection.