Rabies

An infectious. disease of the nervous tissue caused by a virus and transmitted through the saliva of a rabid animal.


A frequently fatal viral disease transmitted to humans by infected animals.


A life-threatening disease caused by a virus, transmitted from the saliva of an infected animal through a bite or other break in the skin. The virus travels through the nervous system to the brain, where it incubates, causing at first generalized symptoms, such as fever and restlessness, then inflammation (encephalitis), intense thirst but inability to drink due to violent muscle spasms in the throat (source of the alternate name for rabies, hydrophobia), sometimes paralysis of the face and eye muscles, and coma. Once symptoms have appeared (usually four to eight weeks after infection but sometimes after only nine days and sometimes after months), rabies is almost always fatal, though some people have survived with special treatment in intensive care units. The main focus, however, is on preventing the spread of the disease among wild or domestic animals and, if a child or adult is bitten, to clean the wound or break thoroughly and seek medical treatment immediately.


Acute, often fatal, viral disease affecting the brain and spinal cord, transmitted to humans by the bite of infected animals, especially dogs, skunks, bats, foxes, and raccoons. After an incubation period that may range from a few days to 1 year, symptoms of fever, malaise, headache, and muscle pain are followed after a few days by severe and painful muscle spasms, especially of the throat, delirium, difficulty in breathing, paralysis, coma, and death. The disease may be prevented in those bitten by an animal suspected of being rabid by a series of injections in combination with rabies immunoglobulin. The current vaccine is much less painful than older methods. Pre-exposure prophylaxis may be achieved in high-risk persons (e.g., veterinarians) by a series of vaccinations.


A viral disease transmitted to humans by the saliva of an infected animal, often by means of a bite. Immediate treatment and immunization are essential to prevent the virus from traveling via nerve fibers to the brain; if that happens, the infection can cause convulsions, paralysis, and eventually death.


A life-threatening disease that affects the central nervous system. Rabies is caused by a virus that is found in the saliva of infected warm-blooded animals and domestic pets by the bites or infected animals. Untreated, the disease is almost always fatal.


An acute virus disease of the central nervous system that affects mammals and is usually transmitted to man by a bite from an infected dog. Symptoms appear after an incubation period ranging from 10 days to over a year and include malaise, fever, difficulty in breathing, salivation, periods of intense excitement, and painful muscle spasms of the throat induced by swallowing. In the later stages of the disease the mere sight of water induces convulsions and paralysis; death occurs within 4-5 days.


An acute and potentially fatal disease, caused by a rhabdovirus called Lyssavirus, which affects the nervous system of animals and may be communicated to humans. Infection from person to person is very rare, but those looking after someone with the disease should take precautions to avoid being bitten or allowing themselves to be contaminated by the patient’s saliva, as this may contain the virus.


A fatal infection of the central nervous system caused by the rabies virus. Human infection occurs as the result of a bite from a wild animal in which the virus is present. Rarely, it may be transmitted by inhalation of infectious aerosol particles or contamination of conjunctiva or other mucous membranes by the saliva of an infected animal. The long incubation period, before signs of rabies appear, is 3 to 12 weeks; this means that wild animals that are displaying no signs of the disease may still be infected, thereby increasing the risk of human infection.


An infection of the central nervous system transmitted from the bite of an infected animal.


An infrequent yet grave illness stemming from a virus present in saliva, this disease is contracted through the bite of an infected animal on a human.


A sudden viral infection of the nervous system, formerly referred to as hydrophobia, which impacts mammals, including bats. The virus follows nerve pathways to reach the brain. Once symptoms become evident, rabies typically leads to a fatal outcome.


Rabies can spread from an infected animal to a human through a bite or by contact with broken skin exposed to the animal’s saliva. The majority of human instances stem from being bitten by a rabid dog. It’s noteworthy that rabies is an exceptionally infrequent ailment in the United Kingdom.


The usual incubation period, which spans the time from infection exposure to symptom manifestation, typically ranges from one to two months. This duration can vary depending on the location of the bite. Initial rabies symptoms include mild fever and headaches. These initial signs are succeeded by feelings of restlessness, heightened activity, and, in some instances, unusual behavior, hallucinations, and paralysis. Subsequently, the individual may experience seizures, irregular heart rhythms (known as arrhythmias), and paralysis of the muscles involved in respiration. There’s often a strong sense of thirst, yet drinking can trigger painful throat spasms. In most cases, death takes place within ten to 14 days from the commencement of symptoms.


After experiencing an animal bite, it is essential to undergo immunization with human rabies immunoglobulin and receive a series of rabies vaccine doses. This protocol aims to potentially avert the development of rabies. In cases where symptoms emerge, they are managed through the administration of sedative medications and analgesics to alleviate pain.


The focus is on averting the illness by enforcing quarantine measures and implementing immunization for both humans and animals. Preventive immunization is advised for specific individuals, such as those who handle wild animals and individuals traveling to regions where rabies is widespread.


A fatal disease in animals caused by a virus transmitted to other animals and man by the bite of an infected animal. All animals are subject to rabies, but it occurs most frequently in the wolf, the cat, and the dog. The incubation period is from one to six months, and the virus has a special affinity for the nervous system, being found in large numbers in the saliva and other secretions. In man there are usually three stages of the disease; the  first or preliminary stage is marked by restlessness, apprehension, and obvious ill health; in the second or furious stage the patient is very active and has spasms of the muscles of swallowing and breathing; the third or paralytic stage begins with drooling of saliva due to poor muscular control, and terminates fatally with a general paralysis ascending the spinal column. It is during the second stage that the sight of water or anybody drinking promotes wild tetanic spasms termed hydrophobia. Humans contract rabies most often through the bite of a rabid dog. Also called hydrophobia.


 

 


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