What are the symptoms of rabies infection?

The earliest symptoms of rabies infection are similar to those of viral encephalitis. Some may even be diagnosed as viral encephalitis, which is a common misdiagnosis. There are no symptoms during the incubation period. After the signs appear, you will feel general fatigue, fever, tiredness, pain in the bitten area, excessive body excitement, and severe cases may enter a coma.

What are the early symptoms of rabies? Here are the early symptoms of rabies:

Similar to general viral encephalitis, the most specific and diagnostically significant change is the presence of Negri bodies (eosinophilic inclusion bodies present in the cytoplasm of nerve cells in 80% of rabies patients), which are round or oval, about 3 to 10 μm in size, with neat edges and 1 to 2 small dots resembling cell nuclei inside. It is most commonly found in the pyramidal cells of the hippocampus and the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. Negri's cells have been confirmed to be virus colonies, and electron microscopy shows that the cells contain rod-shaped virus particles. If these bodies are found in human or animal brain cells, the diagnosis can be confirmed.

1. Incubation period: (average of about 4-6 weeks, the shortest and longest range can be up to 10 days-8 months). Depending on the individual's physical condition, the incubation period varies from a few days to several years. During the incubation period, the infected person does not have any symptoms.

2. Prodromal stage: The infected person begins to experience symptoms such as general discomfort, fever, fatigue, restlessness, pain in the bitten area, and abnormal sensation.

3. Excitement stage: Humans: Various symptoms of the patient reach their peak, with mental tension, whole body convulsions, hallucinations, delirium, fear of light, sound, water, wind, etc. Therefore, rabies is also called hydrophobia. Patients often suffocate to death due to spasms in the throat.

4. Coma stage: If the patient manages to survive the excitement stage, he or she will enter the coma stage. During this stage, the patient is in a deep coma, but the various symptoms of rabies are no longer obvious. Most patients who enter this stage eventually die of exhaustion.