Rabies is transmitted through what?

Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
Updated on January 09, 2025
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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.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Why is rabies afraid of water?

The reason why rabies fears water is because the rabies virus proliferates extensively in the brain, causing massive damage to brain tissues and cells. When it affects certain swallowing nerves and glossopharyngeal nerves, and causes extensive necrosis of brain and liver cells, these symptoms will appear. In addition to fearing water, there is also a fear of bright light, wind sounds, and noise. There will be evident fear-induced spasms, and eventually, it leads to death due to coma, and it is also prone to fever.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Does rabies spread through saliva?

Rabies is primarily transmitted through saliva. The rabies virus is likely to be present in the saliva of dogs or cats during the symptomatic phase. Dogs or cats carrying the rabies virus have a high concentration of the virus in their saliva during this phase. If bitten by an animal in this stage, there is a significant risk of infection. Prevention measures should be based on the actual situation, including vaccination against rabies and local administration of rabies immunoglobulin at the wound site. Rabies is a fatal disease with no treatment available, but it is preventable.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Symptoms of the incubation period of rabies

Rabies has no obvious symptoms during the incubation period. Some people might feel as if ants are biting at the wound site, while others may display symptoms of fatigue and lack of energy; however, the vast majority of people do not show any clear characteristic symptoms. The incubation period for rabies can range from one to three months, and it is rare for it to extend beyond one year. The duration of the incubation period is highly dependent on the location of the bite; the farther from the head, the longer the incubation period. Conversely, the closer to the head and face, the shorter the incubation period.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Rabies transmission routes

Rabies is an extremely deadly disease, with a 100% fatality rate once infected, so prevention is crucial. According to clinical and laboratory research, the majority of cases result from bites by rabid dogs who were not vaccinated against rabies. Additionally, there are cases resulting from bites or scratches by cats who were not vaccinated. In places like the United States and Europe, bat bites are relatively common. In rabies cases involving dogs and cats, their saliva contains a high concentration of the virus, making infection likely if one comes into contact with it. Proper prevention is essential.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Does rabies cause fever?

Rabies can indeed cause fever during the more obvious period of clinical symptoms, often accompanied by excessive neurological excitation, such as drooling, tearing, sweating, and tachycardia. There may also be agitation, hallucinations, and other typical neurological symptoms such as hallucinations, convulsions, bizarre behavior, hyperfunction, and neck stiffness. These symptoms manifest as extreme fear, hydrophobia, fear of wind, difficulty swallowing, and high sensitivity to bright light and noise; most cases result in death within 3-5 days, and it is very rare for cases to last more than two weeks.