When a person shows signs or symptoms of rabies, it is almost certain the person will die because infection has already taken hold, MayoClinic.com points out. Providing a vaccine to anyone who may have been exposed to rabies is a priority. Prompt treatment prevents infection. A bite from a wild animal usually transmits the rabies infection, but contact with the animal through an open wound or sore may also spread the infection.
Source
Rabies from animal bites often comes from bats, raccoons, foxes, skunks and other wild animals. Many cases of rabies in the U.S. once came from dog attacks, but widespread vaccination of domestic animals has led to no cases of rabies from dog bites in recent years, according to Medline Plus.
Function
Rabies spreads from infected saliva that enters the person's body through a bite or broken skin. The virus travels through the body and eventually causes swelling of the brain, which leads to rabies symptoms, Medline Plus explains. The incubation period ranges from 10 days to seven years, but the average time from infection to when symptoms surface is three to seven weeks.
Effects
Early symptoms include muscle pain, headache and fever and may seem similar to a cold or flu, according to Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and restlessness may also occur. Symptoms quickly worsen as brain function becomes impaired. Loss of muscle control, muscle spasms, agitation and confusion develop. Painful spasms in the throat and voice box result from the viral infection of the salivary glands. An infected person may not be able to drink because it causes spasms. Foaming at the mouth begins. Coma or death can occur within three to 20 days after the first symptoms appear.
Warning
No treatment exists for rabies infection. The disease is usually fatal, even though a few people have survived rabies, according to MayoClinic.com. Anyone suspected of being exposed to rabies needs medical treatment immediately. Washing the wound with soap and water as soon as possible is recommended to decrease the chance for infection. If a domestic or farm animal is known to have caused a bite, the animal can be watched for 10 days before treatment begins. Wild animals that are caught can be killed and tested for rabies. If the animal cannot be found, treatment is administered as a precaution.
Prevention/Solution
A fast-acting shot of immune globulin is administered near the wound as soon as possible after exposure to prevent the virus from causing infection. The first dose of rabies vaccine is usually given at the same time. Four doses of the vaccine are administered over a 14-day period, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaccines are injected in the arm and are relatively painless.
