Table of contents:
- Symptoms of rabies in humans
- 1. The incubation period of rabies virus infection
- 2. Early symptoms of rabies infection
- 3. Symptoms of further rabies
- 4. Coma and death
- Having rabies virus, when to see a doctor?
Rabies is a viral infectious disease that is transmitted from animals, one of the ways of transmission is through bites. However, the symptoms of rabies in humans do not appear immediately after a bite. This is why many are not aware of the dangers of this disease. Though rabies virus infection can slowly cause disorders of the nervous system. Therefore, it is important for you to know the various characteristics and symptoms of rabies in humans.
Symptoms of rabies in humans
The rabies virus can affect wild and domesticated animals. Most cases of rabies in humans, 90% of which are caused by pet bites.
More than 95% of human deaths from the virus occur in Asia and Africa, especially in remote rural settings where children aged 5-14 years old.
Dogs are the main source of transmission of this disease. In addition, transmission through bat bites is also the leading cause of death in Australia and Western Europe.
Not only through bites, rabies transmission to humans can occur through scratches or contact with the saliva of infected animals.
After being bitten by an infected animal or exposed to the rabies virus, you will not immediately experience symptoms. This is because the rabies virus takes time to reach the brain or nervous system and start infecting.
This is why, the main features of rabies affecting the nervous system may not appear until months after you have been infected.
According to the CDC, here are the stages of rabies symptom development in humans that need to be aware of.
1. The incubation period of rabies virus infection
The incubation period is the time between transmission of the virus and the onset of rabies symptoms. During this period, you usually don't feel any complaints.
The incubation period for rabies can last for 2-3 months. In some cases, the incubation period can also occur as long as 1 week after transmission.
The incubation period varies, depending on which part of the virus enters the body. The closer the point of infection, the faster the incubation period.
If you are bitten by a dog infected with rabies in a part of the body close to the brain, the incubation period for the rabies virus will be shorter. However, factors such as the type of rabies virus infects and the immune condition also affects the length of the incubation period.
2. Early symptoms of rabies infection
In the early stages of infection, rabies has not shown signs of disorders of the nervous system. The initial symptoms of rabies are generally similar to those of most infectious diseases which include:
- Fever reaches 38 degrees Celsius or more
- Headache
- Worry
- Feeling the body is not healthy overall
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Nausea accompanied by vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Itching, pain, and a burning sensation in the area of the rabies wound
- Tingling or numbness in the area of the rabies wound
These initial symptoms are acute or temporary for 2 to 10 days. Over time, the infection will progress, causing rabies symptoms to get worse.
3. Symptoms of further rabies
Advanced or clinical symptoms of rabies suggest neurological features. That is, the virus has further infected the nervous system causing inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).
At this stage, the symptoms are more obvious and the severity is getting worse. The disorders experienced usually include extreme and erratic behavior changes, such as being more hyperactive, aggressive to hallucinating.
These are the effects caused by rabies when it has attacked the brain and nervous system:
- Feeling confused, restless, and restless
- More aggressive and hyperactive
- Muscle spasms and paralysis may occur
- Rapid breathing sometimes has difficulty breathing
- Producing more saliva
- Fear of water (hydrophobia)
- Fear of light (photophobia)
- Difficulty swallowing
- Hallucinating
- Bad dreams and insomnia
- Permanent erection in men
Over time, sufferers can experience breathing difficulties severe enough to hyperventilate, as can people who experience panic attacks.
In some cases, further symptoms of rabies can develop slowly and eventually lead to paralysis. Paralysis is initially experienced in the injured area and spreads to other parts of the body around it. This condition is also known as paralysis of rabies.
4. Coma and death
After clinical symptoms appear, rabies is usually classified as fatal. Symptoms of paralytic rabies that continue to get worse can put the sufferer at risk of going into a coma.
Unfortunately, coma due to rabies often leads to death in a matter of hours, unless the sufferer is connected to a breathing apparatus (ventilator). Death usually occurs from day 4 to day 7 after the coma begins.
Having rabies virus, when to see a doctor?
If you come into contact with wild or domestic animals that show signs of rabies, especially when they are bitten, seek medical attention immediately. Don't delay until symptoms appear.
Rabies treatment needs to be done from the beginning even if you haven't shown any symptoms. Treating it from the start before symptoms appear can actually prevent the fatal consequences of this disease.
Medical treatment that is carried out depends on the transmission of the rabies virus itself. For the case of a bite that causes injury, the doctor will do post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
This method of treating rabies aims to prevent the virus from entering the central nervous system and causing infection. This PEP usually consists of wound treatment, injecting rabies vaccine or administering immune globulin.
Symptoms of rabies in humans develop gradually. If the symptoms show neurological disorders, this disease can be fatal. However, the dangers of rabies can be prevented with medical treatment as soon as possible.
