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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffRabies doesn't cause any signs or symptoms until late in the disease, often just days before death. Signs and symptoms may include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Difficulty swallowing
- Excessive salivation
- Fear of water (hydrophobia) because of the difficulty in swallowing
- Hallucinations
- Insomnia
- Partial paralysis
When to see a doctor
Seek immediate medical care if you're bitten by any animal. Based on your injuries and situation in which the bite occurred, you and your doctor can decide whether you should receive treatment to prevent rabies.
If you aren't sure whether you've been bitten, seek medical attention. For instance, a bat that flies into your room while you're sleeping may bite you without awaking you. If you awake to find a bat in your room, assume you've been bitten. Also if you find a bat near a person who can't report a bite, such as a small child or disabled person, assume that person has been bitten.
- Di Quinzio M, et al. Rabies risk among travelers. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2008;178:567.
- DeMaria A. Patient information: Rabies. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Dec. 17, 2008.
- Manning SE, et al. Human rabies prevention - United States, 2008. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2008;57:1.
- General questions & answers about rabies. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/print.do?url=http%3A//www.cdc.gov/rabies/qanda/general.html. Accessed Dec. 17, 2008.
- About rabies. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/print.do?url=http%3A//www.cdc.gov/rabies/about.html. Accessed Dec. 22, 2008.
- What to do if you have a potential rabies exposure. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/print.do?url=http%3A//www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/types.html. Accessed Dec. 31, 2008.
