Does rabies cause headaches and dizziness?

Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
Updated on November 13, 2024
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During the apparent symptomatic phase of rabies, symptoms like headache and dizziness may occur, although they are not the main symptoms. More typical symptoms of rabies include hydrophobia, fear of wind, photophobia, and difficulty drinking water. Exposure to bright lights and loud noises can cause whole-body spasms and pain. The disease can also cause facial muscle spasms, leading to distorted facial expressions. Subsequently, opisthotonus may occur, along with drooling, tearing, and tachycardia. Eventually, the patient may fall into a coma and die. Fever may also be present.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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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.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Rabies clinical symptoms

Rabies presents with typical symptoms that usually appear two to four days before the onset, including low-grade fever, general discomfort, muscle soreness, weakness, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Some individuals may also experience irrational fear, anxiety, agitation, irritability, hyper-sensitivity, insomnia, or depression. The bitten area may also exhibit symptoms of nerve pain, numbness, itching, or a sensation similar to an ant bite. Once rabies onset occurs, it generally leads to death, and it is rare for individuals to survive more than ten days after the disease manifests.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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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.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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How long does rabies usually take to manifest?

Rabies generally has a variable incubation period. The question actually refers to the incubation period of rabies. The duration of this period can vary widely; the shortest is about five days before onset of the disease, while the longest can reach up to eight years. The average incubation period is two to three months, with cases exceeding one year accounting for 2%-3% of instances. The length of the incubation period is related to factors such as the virulence of the virus, and the nerve distribution at the site of entry. The greater the amount of the virus, the stronger its virulence, and the richer the nerve supply at the site of entry, especially if it is closer to the central nervous system, the shorter the incubation period will be.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Rabies is transmitted through what?

According to epidemiological surveys in our country, the majority of rabies cases are caused by bites from rabid dogs. Bites and scratches from cats, bats, and other animals are relatively less common, but they still occur occasionally. Dogs or cats exhibiting symptoms of the disease have a large amount of rabies virus in their saliva, which is highly contagious. Rabies is a fatal disease, and once infected, it is 100% fatal with no available treatment. Therefore, it is crucial to strengthen prevention measures, which can include rabies vaccinations and rabies immunoglobulin.