It is a very severe infectious disease caused by a virus of the Rhabdoviridae family.
It is transmitted by being bitten by an animal infected with the virus, which spreads along the peripheral nerves until it reaches the central nervous system and spinal cord.
It manifests in different ways according to the stage of the infection; it begins with general symptoms (fever, headache, appetite loss, fatigue, nausea and vomiting), continues through a period of restlessness and stiffness and ends up in flaccid paralysis and a coma.
Diagnosis is reached clinically through the patient's history and performing a complete physical examination.
Treatment must be started immediately with supportive measures, rabies immunoglobulin and administering its vaccine.
- Alfred DeMaria, Jr, MD. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of rabies. UpToDate, Sep 12, 2016.
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- Alan C. Jackson. Rabia y otras infecciones por rhabdovirus. Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna, 19e. Capítulo 232.
