Symptoms
Rabies in people is preventable with prompt medical care. Without prompt treatment, rabies can reach the brain and be fatal. Finding an effective treatment for rabies once it reaches the brain has been difficult, but there’s hope that one day a treatment will be available.
Causes
The rabies virus is transmitted through saliva or brain/nervous system tissue. You can only get rabies by coming in contact with these specific bodily excretions and tissues.
Prevention
People cannot transmit rabies to other people unless they themselves are sick with rabies. The prophylaxis you are receiving will protect you from developing rabies, and therefore you cannot expose other people to rabies.
Complications
Humans get rabies when they are bitten or scratched by infected animals. Human rabies is rare in the United States. Wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes are the most common source of human rabies infection in the United States. Rabies is more common in other parts of the world where dogs still carry rabies.
Is there a treatment for rabies in humans?
How do you get rabies?
Can I transmit rabies to other people?
How common is rabies in humans?
Where do they put rabies shots in humans?
For adults, the vaccination should always be administered intramuscularly in the deltoid area (arm). For children, the anterolateral aspect of the thigh is also acceptable.
Do you need to be hospitalized for rabies?
If you believe you may have been exposed to rabies, it is appropriate to seek treatment at an emergency department, where you will be evaluated and treated by emergency-medicine specialists. You will likely be admitted to the hospital, where other specialists, such as infectious-disease specialists, will be consulted.
What is involved in rabies treatment?
The rabies PEP regimen involves administration of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), which is given only once, and a series of four 1.0 mL rabies vaccinations (Table 3: Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Healthy, Immunocompetent Persons, Including Pregnant Women (PDF)).
What happens to a human who gets rabies?
Following a bite, the rabies virus spreads by way of the nerve cells to the brain. Once in the brain, the virus multiplies rapidly. This activity causes severe inflammation of the brain and spinal cord after which the person deteriorates rapidly and dies.
Is a rabies shot painful?
Rabies vaccines can be painful and the immunoglobulin administration can involve a lot of needles at one time for the patient. The patient also has to come back at specific times to abide by the vaccination schedule, which can become quite expensive and inconvenient.
Can you survive rabies without a vaccine?
New research has shown that humans may be able to survive Rabies without vaccination or treatment after all.
Why can't we cure rabies?
Rabies infects the central nervous system (CNS), and — if left untreated — it can be fatal if it reaches the brain. Once it reaches the brain, there's currently no treatment available. Researchers are still trying to find ways to treat rabies once it reaches the brain.
How long does human rabies last?
The acute period of disease typically ends after 2 to 10 days. Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, and treatment is typically supportive. Less than 20 cases of human survival from clinical rabies have been documented.
What is a rabies shot like for humans?
The rabies vaccine works extremely well to prevent rabies but has a fairly high rate of side effects such as sore arm, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. The vaccine is also rarely a cause of the severe allergic reaction, anaphylaxis.
Do humans bark when infected with rabies?
They bark, though it is hard to believe. I have seen a rabies patient in hospital barking like a dog,” the first doctor said. The other doctor said the incubation period for rabies is between two and 12 weeks, and sometimes as short as four days.
Why does rabies make you scared of water?
People used to call rabies hydrophobia because it appears to cause a fear of water. The reason is that the infection causes intense spasms in the throat when a person tries to swallow. Even the thought of swallowing water can cause spasms, making it appear that the individual is afraid of water.
Can rabies be transmitted through kissing?
Is Rabies Contagious? Rabies is not contagious from person to person. The virus most often spreads through bites from an infected animal. But it can also spread if the animal's saliva (spit) gets directly into a person's eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound (such as a scratch or a scrape).
Who should get rabies shots?
People at high risk of exposure to rabies should be offered pre-exposure rabies vaccination, including: Veterinarians, animal handlers, and veterinary students. Rabies laboratory workers.
How to contact CDC about rabies?
Call your local or state health department. Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Call 1-800-232-4636 (1-800-CDC-INFO) or. Visit CDC’s rabies website. Many Vaccine Information Statements are available in español and other languages. See http://www.immunize.org/vis.
How does rabies affect people?
Most rabies deaths in people around the world are caused by bites from unvaccinated dogs. Rabies infects the central nervous system. After infection with rabies, at first there might not be any symptoms. Weeks or even months after a bite, rabies can cause general weakness or discomfort, fever, or headache.
What is the most common source of rabies?
Humans get rabies when they are bitten or scratched by infected animals. Human rabies is rare in the United States. Wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes are the most common source of human rabies infection in the United States. Rabies is more common in other parts of ...
Do you need rabies immunoglobulin?
A person who has been previously vaccinated should get 2 doses of rabies vaccine and does not need Rabies Immune Globulin. Your health care provider can give you more information.
Is rabies fatal to humans?
As the disease progresses, the person may experience delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia (fear of water), and insomnia. If a person does not receive appropriate medical care after an exposure, human rabies is almost always fatal.
Can rabies cause a fever?
Soreness, redness, swelling, or itching at the site of the injection, and headache, nausea, abdominal pain, muscle aches, or dizziness can happen after rabies vaccine. Hives, pain in the joints, or fever sometimes happen after booster doses.
What to do after a rabies bite?
In addition to seeking medical attention right after an animal bite (especially from a bat, fox, or skunk), the wound should be cleaned immediately and thoroughly.
What animals are most likely to get rabies?
2 The rabies virus may also be spread by such animals as foxes, skunks, and raccoons. Across the globe, over 90 percent of human rabies cases result from virus transmission by domestic dogs. 3 .
What is the weakened form of rabies?
The Rabies Vaccine. Like all vaccines, rabies vaccines contain a weakened form of the virus that is incapable of causing disease or reproducing. In response to the vaccine, your body produces antibodies that target and kill the rabies virus.
What is PEP in rabies?
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is the only treatment strategy known to prevent rabies-related deaths. 4 This treatment includes extensive washing and local treatment of the wound followed by a course of a potent and effective rabies vaccine.
What is the first category of exposure to rabies?
The guidelines identify three categories of rabies exposure. The first category is defined as "touching or feeding animals, licks on intact skin," but post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is recommended only for category 2 and category 3 exposure. 8.
How long does it take to die from rabies?
Once symptoms set in, however, death from respiratory failure usually occurs within seven days —even if treatment is given.
Can rabies cause nausea?
Swelling. Itching. In rare cases, patients may experience symptoms like headache, nausea, abdominal pain, muscle aches, and dizziness. Before receiving the rabies vaccine, let your doctor if you’ve ever had a serious allergic reaction to a dose of rabi es vaccine.
How do you get rabies?
If an animal has rabies and bites you - or licks its claw before it scratches you - then you could get rabies, too. You can´t get rabies just by petting an animal with rabies.
How long does it take for rabies to get to the brain?
It can take one month, two months, or even longer for you to know something is wrong. The rabies virus attaches to nerve cells, working its way through the nervous system. Eventually the virus makes its way to the brain, and by then it´s usually too late for doctors to help.
Which wild animal causes the most rabies?
What wild animals cause the most problems? In the United States, more raccoons have rabies than other wild animals, but it is bites from bats that cause the most rabies in people. The problem is that bat bites can be so small you might not think they are very serious and tell anyone about them.
What to do if you find a bat in your house?
If you discover a bat in your house, especially in the room where you´re sleeping, you should act as if you were bitten and tell an adult as soon as you can. If an adult can trap the bat, then it can be tested so you will know if it had rabies.
What is PEP in rabies?
Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) consists of a dose of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) and rabies vaccine given on the day of the rabies exposure, and then a dose of vaccine given again on days 3, 7, and 14.
What are the side effects of rabies shots?
Mild, local reactions to the rabies vaccine, such as pain, redness, swelling , or itching at the injection site, have been reported.
Does PEP include rabies?
For people who have never been vaccinated against rabies previously , postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) should always include administration of both HRIG and rabies vaccine.
Is rabies prevention a serious matter?
Rabies prevention is a serious matter and changes should not be made in the schedule of doses. Patient assistance programs that provide medications to uninsured or underinsured patients are available for rabies vaccine and immune globulin.
Can you transmit rabies to other people?
People cannot transmit rabies to other people unless they themselves are sick with rabies. PEP will protect you from developing rabies, and therefore you cannot expose other people to rabies. You can continue to participate in your normal activities.
Can rabies cause headaches?
Rarely, symptoms such as headache, nausea, abdominal pain, muscle aches, and dizziness have been reported. Local pain and low-grade fever may follow injection of rabies immune globulin. The vaccine should be given at recommended intervals for best results.
What to do if you have been bitten by a rabies?
If you’ve been in contact with any wildlife or unfamiliar animals, particularly if you’ve been bitten or scratched, you should talk with a healthcare or public health professional to determine your risk for rabies or other illnesses. Wash any wounds immediately with soap and water and then plan to see a healthcare provider.
Is rabies an emergency?
Remember that rabies is a medical urgency but not an emergency. Decisions should not be delayed. See your doctor for attention for any trauma due to an animal attack before considering the need for rabies vaccination.
How do you get rabies?
Rabies is transmitted through direct contact with the saliva or brain tissue of an infected animal.
Is a rabies vaccine available for humans?
Yes, rabies vaccines ( RabAvert, Imovax) are available for humans. The vaccine is given by an injection into the muscle, and it consists of four shots. Most people only need the rabies vaccine if they’ve had exposure to a rabid animal.
How do you prevent rabies from becoming an infection?
Prompt medical attention is vital for preventing a rabies infection. If you’ve been bit by a rabid animal — or even an animal that might have rabies — you’ll need post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to help protect yourself. About 55,000 people in the U.S. get PEP every year.
Can you treat rabies once symptoms of an infection develop?
After being exposed to rabies, it takes time for rabies to travel to your brain. This is known as the incubation period and can last weeks to months. This time can vary depending on the initial location of exposure.
Is there any ongoing research for rabies treatments?
Recently, the FDA released guidance for drug manufacturers to use to help develop monoclonal antibody cocktails — a type of new anti-rabies treatment. Monoclonal antibodies are biologic medications that act as artificial antibodies. The term cocktails refers to multiple monoclonal antibody medications being used at the same time.
The bottom line
Rabies is a disease that is preventable with prompt medical care, but it’s almost always fatal when it reaches your brain. Treating rabies once it reaches your brain is difficult because it’s hard to get medications into your brain.