What Are the Symptoms of Rabies?

Many families keep dogs as pets, but some dogs may carry the rabies virus. Once bitten, there is a risk of being infected with rabies. The best response measure is to receive rabies vaccination. However, if the vaccine is not available, it is necessary to have a certain understanding of the symptoms of rabies onset. So, what are the symptoms of rabies onset? Let's take a look below.

a. Prodromal stage: This is the initial period after being bitten by a rabid dog. Patients often experience non-specific symptoms such as loss of appetite, headache, low fever, nausea, and vomiting. A characteristic symptom of rabies may also appear: itching and a foreign body sensation at the bite site, indicating that the rabies virus has begun to invade.

b. Excitement stage: In this stage, patients will show obvious symptoms of rabies infection, including fear of water and light, excitement, and hyperactivity of the autonomic nervous system. The person will be significantly different from usual and may also experience symptoms such as convulsions. This stage can last for 1-3 days.

c. Paralytic stage: This is the final stage of rabies infection. The duration of this stage is short, and the patient is getting closer to death. The patient will transition from an agitated state to a calm one, experiencing delayed paralysis of the limbs and appearing numb and sluggish. Eventually, the patient will die due to respiratory muscle paralysis and bulbar paralysis.

a. Managing the source of infection: The main source of rabies infection is rabid dogs. Therefore, to prevent rabies, it is necessary to manage rabid dogs and eliminate the opportunity for them to bite humans. Additionally, dogs can also be vaccinated to prevent rabies.

b. Cutting off the transmission route: Disinfect and isolate infected individuals. For bite wounds, immediately wash them with soap and water for at least half an hour. Immediately go to the hospital to receive anti-rabies virus immunoglobulin to prevent the occurrence of rabies.

c. Protecting susceptible populations: The population is generally susceptible to the rabies virus. Therefore, vaccination is the most effective measure. Vaccination against rabies should be administered both before and after being bitten. Especially for individuals engaged in high-risk occupations, such as those handling rabies virus and other viruses related to rabies in laboratories.