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Rabies Central nervous system

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Rabies

Symptoms: Low-grade fever (102 degrees F or lower) Pain at the site of the bite Exaggerated sensation at the bite site Swallowing difficulty (drinking produces spasms of the larynx) or swallowing difficulty with liquids only Restlessness Excitability Muscle spasms Convulsions Numbness and tingling Loss of muscle function Loss of feeling in an area of the body Drooling Anxiety, stress, and tension Positive Babinski's reflex Signs and tests: If an animal bites you, try to gather as much information about the animal as possible. Call your local animal control authorities to safely capture the animal. If rabies is suspected, the animal will be watched for signs of rabies. A special test called immunofluorescence is used to look at the brain tissue after an animal is dead. This test can reveal whether or not the animal had rabies. Text Continues Below The same test can be used to check for rabies in humans, using a piece of skin from the neck. Doctors may also look for the rabies virus in your saliva or spinal fluid. References: Marx J. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2002:1837-1838. Stantic-Pavlinic M. Public health concerns in bat rabies across Europe. Euro Surveill. 2005 Nov 1;10(11) . Brookes SM, Aegerter JN, Smith GC. European bat lyssavirus in Scottish bats. Emerg Infect Dis. 2005 Apr;11(4):572-8. Cohen J, Powderly WG. Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Elsevier; 2004:1503-1506.

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