General Information About Rabies Disease
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is a viral infection caused by a virus from the Rhabdoviridae family, which settles in the brain and spinal cord causing severe brain inflammation (encephalitis) and is almost 100% fatal once symptoms start.
It is transmitted by the biting, scratching, or saliva contact of animals carrying the rabies virus (especially dogs, cats, bats, foxes) with an open wound or eye/mouth mucosa on human skin.
It usually takes 1 to 3 months for the virus to reach the brain after a bite; however, depending on the proximity of the bite to the head, this period can decrease to a few days or extend up to 1 year.
It begins with itching and pain at the bite site. Once the virus reaches the brain, severe spasms in the swallowing muscles (fear of water/hydrophobia), excessive salivation, hallucinations, aggression, paralysis, and ultimately coma develop.
The bitten area must be washed vigorously with plenty of water and soap (if possible with iodine/povidone-iodine) for at least 15 minutes without wasting any time. This simple washing significantly reduces the viral load. Afterwards, a health institution should be consulted immediately.
Absolutely yes. The Rabies Vaccine given before post-bite symptoms (reaching the brain) start, and the Rabies Antiserum (Immunoglobulin) applied around the wound, prevent the disease 100%. Once symptoms begin, no medical treatment will work.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
