Rabies Articles A-Z
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For people with rabies, symptoms may begin with fever, headache, and general tiredness. As this eMedTV article explains, however, symptoms of rabies that may occur as the disease progresses can include anxiety, partial paralysis, and confusion.
If a person is thought to have rabies, testing focuses on several samples (such saliva and blood). This eMedTV article looks at how rabies testing is conducted in humans and animals suspected of being infected with the virus.
In most cases of rabies, transmission occurs as the result of an animal bite. This eMedTV Web page describes how rabies may also be transmitted through non-bite exposure or human-to-human exposure (which has only been documented in transplant cases).
As this eMedTV article explains, post-exposure rabies treatment involves a series of injections with rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine. While this treatment for rabies is extremely effective, it must be started before the onset of symptoms.
In most cases, the rabies vaccine is given after a person has been exposed to rabies. As discussed in this eMedTV article, when the vaccine for rabies is administered before the onset of symptoms it is extremely effective.
