Rabies Dr Rob Hicks Rabies is a viral infection that affects the nervous system, transmitted to humans in saliva when they are bitten by an infected animal.

In this article

What causes it? What are the symptoms?

Who's affected? How is it prevented?

What's the treatment?

Infected dogs are the most common cause of human infection worldwide, but in Western countries most cases are caused by bites from infected bats.

Early symptoms include fever, headache, numbness and tingling around the wound. Later, spasms, hallucinations, extreme thirst, hydrophobia, manic behaviour, paralysis and coma may develop.

Symptoms usually occur two to eight weeks after infection, but it can take two years or more for them to appear.

Rabies infection is most common in Africa and parts of Asia. It's rare in Western countries. In 2002, a bat enthusiast in Scotland was the first person to die of UK-acquired rabies since 1902.

To reduce the risk of infection, travellers are advised to avoid stray animals when visiting high-risk areas.

A rabies vaccine is available and recommended for people travelling to high-risk parts of the world or whose occupation involves handling the rabies virus or potentially infected animals.

Treatment involves injections of antibodies that fight the virus, followed by a rabies vaccination to stimulate production of more antibodies.

For the best chance of survival, treatment should be given as soon as possible after the bite. Once symptoms have appeared, rabies infection is almost always fatal.

This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks in July 2006.