Friday, March 09, 2007

rabies

One of the most distinctive signs of a rabies infection is a tingling or twitching sensation around the area of the animal bite. It is often accompanied by a fever, headache, muscle aches, loss of appetite, nausea, and fatigue.

As the infection progresses, someone infected with rabies may develop any of the following symptoms:

irritability
excessive movements or agitation
confusion
hallucinations
aggressiveness
bizarre or abnormal thoughts
muscle spasms
abnormal postures
seizures (convulsions)
weakness or paralysis (when a person cannot move some part of the body)
extreme sensitivity to bright lights, sounds, or touch
increased production of saliva or tears
difficulty speaking

In the advanced stage of the infection, as it spreads to other parts of the nervous system, other symptoms may develop:

double vision
problems moving facial muscles
abnormal movements of the diaphragm and muscles that control breathing
difficulty swallowing and increased production of saliva, causing the "foaming at the mouth" usually associated with a rabies infection

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