Rabies, Causes, SIgn and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

 Rabies is a viral illness spread via the saliva of an infected animal this occurs usually through biting a human or another animal transmission can also occur through saliva touching an open wound or touching mucous membrane causes rabies infection is caused by the rabies virus.

The virus is spread through the saliva of infected animals infected animals can spread the virus by biting another animal or a 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 this could occur if an infected animal were to lick an open cut on your skin animals that can transmit the rabies virus any mammal or an animal that suckles its young can transmit the rabies virus the animals most likely to transmit the rabies virus to people include pets and farm animals  

such as Cats, cows, dogs, ferret's, goats' horses' wild animals such as bats beavers' coyotes' fox's monkey's raccoons' skunks' woodchucks in rare cases  

The virus has been transmitted to tissue and organ transplant recipients from an infected organ symptom, 

Rabies progresses in five distinct stages 

Incubation prodrome 

Acute neurologic period coma 

Death incubation period 

This is the time before symptoms appear it usually lasts from three to twelve weeks but it can take as little as five days or more than two years the closer the bite is to the brain the sooner the effects are likely to appear by the time symptoms appear rabies is usually fatal anyone who may have been exposed to the virus should seek medical help at once without waiting for symptoms prod rum early flu-like symptoms include a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius or above headache anxiety

feeling generally unwell sore throat

cough nausea

vomiting discomfort may occur at the site of the bite these can last from two to ten days and they worsen over time acute neurologic period neurologic symptoms develop including confusion and aggression partial paralysis involuntary muscle twitching and rigid neck muscles convulsions hyperventilation and difficulty breathing hyper salivation or producing a lot of saliva and possibly frothing at the mouth fear of water or hydrophobia due to  difficulty swallowing hallucinations nightmares and insomnia priapism or permanent erection in males photophobia or a fear of light toward the end of this phase breathing becomes rapid and inconsistent coma and death if the person enters a coma death will occur within a matter of hours unless they are attached to a ventilator rarely a person may recover at this late stage. 

Why does rabies cause a fear of water

rabies used to be known as hydrophobia because it appears to cause a fear of water intense spasms in the throat are triggered when trying to swallow even the thought of swallowing water can cause spasms this is where the fear comes from the excess saliva that occurs is probably due to the impact of the virus on the nervous system diagnosis in humans.

Rabies is diagnosed by testing saliva blood samples spinal fluid and skin samples multiple tests may be necessary the tests rely on detection of proteins on the surface of the rabies virus detection of the genetic material of the virus or demonstration of an antibody or immune response to the virus treatment if a person is bitten or scratched by an animal that may have Rabies or if the animal licks an open wound the individual should immediately wash any bites and scratches for 15 minutes with soapy water povidone iodine or detergent this might minimize the number of viral particles then they must seek medical help at once after exposure and before symptoms begin a series of shots can prevent the virus from thriving this is usually effective strategies include a fast-acting dose of rabies immune globulin delivered as soon as possible close to the bite wound this can prevent the virus from infecting the individual a series of rabies vaccines these will be injected into the arm over the next two to four weeks these will train the body to fight the virus  

whenever it finds it it is not usually possible to find out whether the animal has rabies or not it is safest to assume the worst and begin the course of shots.