Does rabies cause coughing?

Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
Updated on September 16, 2024
00:00
00:00

Rabies generally does not cause severe coughing, but in the late stages of the disease, coughing can occur. Eventually, due to spasms and paralysis of the respiratory muscles, some sputum cannot be expelled, which stimulates the respiratory tract to produce more secretions, possibly leading to frequent coughing. The main symptoms of rabies are a distinct fear and restlessness towards water, light, and wind. Rabies ultimately leads to death due to respiratory muscle failure and paralysis of the respiratory system.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
34sec home-news-image

Is rabies contagious?

Rabies is contagious; in fact, most cases of rabies result from being bitten by rabid dogs, cats showing symptoms of the disease, or bats carrying the rabies virus. There have been no reports of transmission from human to human. Rabies is a fatal disease, with a 100% mortality rate once infected. The saliva of dogs showing symptoms contains a high concentration of the virus. If one is bitten and does not receive timely prevention and intervention, there is a high likelihood of contracting the infection.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
35sec home-news-image

How long can rabies antibodies last?

Antibodies for rabies generally last for a relatively long time. According to the 2016 rabies prevention guidelines, if the rabies vaccine is administered systematically and sufficient levels of rabies antibodies are produced, then three to five years later, the vast majority of people can still detect effective levels of rabies antibodies. Nowadays, the detection of rabies antibodies is also quite convenient, so if one has been vaccinated against rabies before and is exposed again, it is possible to first test for rabies antibodies to determine whether there is a need to vaccinate again.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
36sec home-news-image

Rabies Symptoms

Rabies, if symptoms appear, often leads to panic, hallucinations, restlessness, fear of water, fear of light, fear of wind, fear of noise, and even results in opisthotonos among other related symptoms. Rabies is a fatal disease, and once symptoms develop, survival rarely exceeds two weeks, with most cases resulting in death within three to five days. In terms of treatment, symptomatic management and isolation are primarily conducted. Therefore, it is crucial to take preventive measures against rabies.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
37sec home-news-image

Is rabies contagious?

Rabies is a contagious disease, and currently, rabies is primarily transmitted by bites or scratches from rabid dogs. Additionally, there are risks of infection from bites by cats during their symptomatic phase, as well as from bats. Transmission from human to human is extremely rare. The rabies virus mainly resides in the saliva of dogs or cats during their symptomatic phase. Therefore, the risk is significant if bitten by a rabid dog. Rabies is a fatal disease, with an infection leading to 100% mortality, which makes prevention crucial.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
36sec home-news-image

Can rabies be cured?

Rabies is a fatal disease, resulting in a 100% fatality rate once infected. It cannot be completely cured. The reason rabies leads to 100% mortality is that after the rabies virus infects the human body, it continuously ascends to the brain, where it proliferates extensively, destroying brain tissue and leading to brain function depletion, a condition that is untreatable. Therefore, in dealing with rabies, it is crucial to focus on prevention. If exposed to rabies, it is necessary to receive the rabies vaccine.