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rabies
(raŽbēz)
(raŽbe-ēz)
an acute infectious disease of the central nervous system, which affects all warm-blooded animals, including humans. It is caused by an RNA virus of the genus Lyssavirus. The virus is often present in the host's saliva, and human infection is usually transmitted by the bite or lick of a rabid animal, such as a bat, wolf, dog, cat, or other
mammal; it is sometimes transmitted through the air. The incubation period in humans is from one to three months, being shorter
when a bite is near the brain. The first symptoms are pain, numbness, and tingling or burning around the site of infection;
these are followed by hyperirritability with fever, paralysis of the muscles of swallowing, and laryngospasm brought on by the sight of fluids or drinking of fluids; the individual also has hallucinations, delirium, and bizarre behavior that alternates with periods of calmness and lucidity. Convulsions, tetany, and respiratory paralysis are late symptoms that usually cause death in untreated cases.
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