Some humor:

A man bitten by a dog, whether the animal is mad or not, is apt to get mad himself.
–George D. Prentice 1802-1870 American Journalist & Humorist.

Rabies is a serious viral disease that affects the central nervous system. It typically spreads by way of the saliva of infected animals - often, but not always, through a bite. Approximately 7,000 cases of rabies in animals are reported each year to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Once you’re infected, the virus spreads from your muscle to your peripheral nerves to your spinal cord and brain. From initial flu-like signs and symptoms, the illness progresses to convulsions, hallucinations, paralysis or breathing failure and almost always death once the infection is established. It’s important to seek treatment immediately after exposure.

Your risk of exposure to rabies in the United States is greater when you come into contact with a wild animal. Most rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals, including raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Infected bats have transmitted most of the recent rabies cases in people in the United States. Domesticated animals such as cats, dogs and cattle account for only a small percentage of reported rabies cases. Most pets and domesticated animals receive vaccinations against rabies.

Each year a few people die of rabies in the United States. Most deaths occur because the person didn’t seek medical assistance. Treatment consists of treatment to the wound plus a series of rabies shots. If you think you’ve been exposed to an animal with rabies, call your doctor as soon as possible.

Signs and symptoms of rabies usually appear within one to three months after exposure. Rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear. Death from breathing failure often happens within a week after the appearance of signs and symptoms.

Early signs and symptoms of rabies in humans are general and not unique to the disease. They may include:

* Fever
* Headache
* Malaise

As the disease progresses, signs and symptoms may include:

* Insomnia
* Anxiety
* Confusion
* Slight or partial paralysis
* Excitation
* Hallucinations
* Agitation
* Excessive salivation (hypersalivation)
* Difficulty swallowing
* Fear of water (hydrophobia) because of the difficulty in swallowing

A bite’s severity and its location on your body can determine how quickly signs and symptoms appear. A severe bite to your head might cause problems to appear in a much shorter time than might those of a bite to your leg. In rare cases, signs and symptoms might not appear for a year or longer after exposure to the virus.

If you think you may have been exposed to an animal with rabies, call your doctor immediately. Thoroughly wash the wound or area of exposure with soap and water. Quick action is important. Once the earliest signs and symptoms appear, death almost always follows. The sooner you begin treatment, the greater your chance of recovery. Testing humans to identify or rule out rabies infection requires a number of tests using blood, saliva, spinal fluid, brain tissue or skin tissue taken from the nape of the neck.

Once a potentially rabid animal is captured, it may be confined for observation. Another option is for health professionals to conduct tests on the animal’s brain tissue to determine whether it has rabies. Testing can be done quickly, but only after the animal is dead.

If you awaken and find a bat in your room, it’s possible you had contact with the bat without knowing it. Bats have small teeth that don’t always leave noticeable marks. In the case of small rodents, including squirrels, a bite isn’t likely to transmit rabies, but it’s still best to consult your doctor to make a treatment decision.

Ways to help prevent exposure to rabies:

* Keep your pets and other domesticated animals up-to-date with regular animal rabies shots.
* Keep your dog on a leash when outside of your yard. Don’t leave it chained up inside your yard.
* Avoid contact with wild or unfamiliar animals, whether they’re alive or dead.
* Seal or close any openings where animals might find entry into your home.
* Report stray animals or any that act strangely or sick to your local animal control authorities.
* Teach your children to never handle unfamiliar animals.
* If you’re traveling, avoid direct contact with wild animals and be cautious around dogs in developing countries.

If your work or activities might bring you into contact with the rabies virus or a potentially rabid mammal, consider getting a preventive vaccination. This vaccination, called pre-exposure prophylaxis, involves three injections over three or four weeks. A booster shot can maintain the vaccination’s effectiveness.