Rabies in humans

     In humans, there are disorders of the higher brain functions, anxiety, confusion, agitation and behavioral disturbances, hallucinations, insomnia, and possible delirium. The production of large quantities of saliva and tears, having the difficulty of swallowing are typical to the advanced stages of the disease. Rabies humans manifest itself also by having a hydrophobic evolution: the sight of a liquid causes unreasonable fear, and the contact causes unbearable burning sensations. Death almost inevitably occurs from two to ten days after the first symptoms.

     Between the moment when the virus enters the body (most commonly through bites, but sometimes also by licking a wound or scratch), and the moment when the disease occurs, it's usually two and eight weeks, leaving a reaction time. In fact the length of incubation depends on the dose of virus inoculated, the location of the bite (the more it is close to an area rich in nerve endings, the sooner the disease is found) and the severity of the wound .

Manifestation of rabies in humans

     The rabies humans manifest different from person to person. The first phase has two types of clinical manifestation: the usual form called spastic or furious rabies is characterized by psychomotor excitation resulting in convulsions, agitation, aggression, hallucination and others. A rare form of rabies humans is paralytic rabies which is seen in 10% of cases. It takes the form of ascending paralysis, resembling the Guillain-Barre syndrome. In the absence of the notion of biting, is often difficult to give a diagnostic. Once diagnosed, declaring it is mandatory. The investigation is then made by answering to four questions:

• Locate and specify the state (the behavior) of the infected animal ;
• Identify individuals who have been in contact with the infected subject ;
• Inquire whether the patient had received preventive treatment ;
• Verify if the veterinary services have been informed in order to carry out a review of the animals that have been in contact with the animal responsible for the contamination.

Rabies around the world

     The greatest risk of contracting rabies meets in Africa, Asia and Latin America, or from wild animals (foxes, cats, mongoose, bats, monkeys, jackals, wolves), or, more often, from the vagrant dogs. In 1983, a study showed that rabies is responsible for 50,000 deaths in countries where the disease is endemic, especially in Asia and in the Indian subcontinent.

     Each year, the number of deaths caused by rabies humans is of 40,000 across the globe. Asia is the continent with the largest number of cases of rabies in humans with over 95% of cases and approximately 35,000 anual deaths. Beside the fact that it's affecting all ages, rabies meets more often in children under 15 years.

     In the U.S. A. 50,000 people were vaccinated with human diploid cell vaccine and there were no reported cases of rabies humans. The last case of human rabies reported in France dates from 1924. However, between 1970 and 1996 were reported 17 cases of rabies due to contamination abroad (Saharan Africa, North Africa, Madagascar and Mexico).