Causes of Rabies

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

| A |

| B |

| C |

| D |

| E |

| F |

| G |

| H |

| I |

| J |

| K |

| L |

| M |

| N |

| O |

| P |

| Q |

| R |

| S |

| T |

| U |

| V |

| W |

| X |

| Y |

Rabies can be transferred to a human from an infected animal, usually a dog, via a bite or a lick to broken skin or the eyeball. Domestic dogs and cats can pick up the infection if exposed to wild animals with the disease such as foxes, wolves, jackals, skunks, mongooses, raccoons and bats. The virus remains for a variable period at the site of the bite then enters the body and multiplies in the muscles cells near the bite wound.

The virus then enters the nerve endings and travels to the spinal cord and brain. Once in the central nervous system, the virus spreads to the salivary glands, lungs, kidneys and other organs.The incubation period (the time between the bite and the start of the symptoms) varies with the distance of the bite from the head, but is usually two to three months. Severe bites on the head, face or neck may result in rabies in as short a period as nine days. Bites further from the head are followed by a much longer incubation period, perhaps as long as several months.

The incubation period also varies with different strains of the virus, but the average time between bite and onset is four to eight weeks. Approximately 50% of infected bites lead to the disease. Children may be at a greater risk from infection, as they are shorter in height and their upper body is closer to the ground. They should be discouraged from petting unknown animals whilst abroad.