Rabies Symptoms in general

     Rabies is a viral disease caused by a virus that is found in animal's saliva . It is characterized by central nervous system disorders, followed by paralysis and death. The appearance of rabies symptoms marks the evolutionary stage of a disease which often is fatal. The virus attack and injures the central nervous system that includes both the brain and the spinal cord.

     To prevent rabies, infected persons should be treated before the appearance of any symptoms. The first rabies symptoms can occur in a range between several days and almost a year, but in most cases symptoms develop in 4-6 weeks from the time of infection. The disease treatment is indicated if the symptoms do not begins shortly after exposure to viruses that causes rabies.

Rabies Symptoms in Animals

     After coming into contact with the virus, the infected animal can traverse one or more stages. In the case of most animals, the virus will spread through the nerves of the infected animal to the brain. The virus moves relatively slowly and the average incubation after exposure to brain damage is between 3 and 8 weeks in dogs and between 2 and 6 weeks in cats. Infected animals may show visible rabies symptoms or behavioral problems. The animal that bites a person and who has behaved or is behaving strangely may be infected with rabies virus. It is important to pursuit, as it is possible, the animal in order to provide an appropriate and timely treatment to anyone who came into contact with the animal.

     It is possible that an animal to have rabies by presenting the following symptoms:

• No fear of humans, especially in wild animals
• Shy attitude of a pet that was usually friendly
• Restlessness, excitability, aggression, or sudden mood changes
• Excessive drooling
• Animals active at night (bats, raccoons and skunks) that become active during the day
• Consumption of substances that normally are not to be consumed
• Paralysis, which sometimes may be the only sign.

Rabies Symptoms in people

     The typical incubation period of rabies virus is 4-6 weeks. During this period, usually no rabies symptoms is present. Early symptoms include pain and numbness that occur at the place where one was bitten, followed by vague symptoms that can occur in many other conditions and which include:

• Fever
• Cough or the sensation of dry throat
• Pain, burning, itching, tingling or numbness to the place where one was bitten or to the original exposure
• Abdominal pain
• Anxiety or restlessness that is getting worse and can develop into extreme agitation

     Further and more specific rabies symptoms may include:

• Periods alternating normal behavior and bizarre or unusual behavior (anxiety, hallucinations, delirium);
• Fear of water (hydrophobia) or fear of air (aerophobia);
• Muscle spasms in the muscles of the face, neck or diaphragm, followed by seizures;
• Paralysis, which is often the only symptom that is developed on a more unusual forms of rabies, paralytic rabies, which occurs after the bites of the vampire bat ;
• Large fluctuations in body temperature, pulse and blood pressure;
• Coma, heart and respiratory failure .