{"id":1079,"date":"2015-07-17T15:41:58","date_gmt":"2015-07-17T05:41:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mvec.vic.edu.au\/?page_id=1079"},"modified":"2025-07-10T12:07:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T02:07:25","slug":"rabies","status":"publish","type":"references","link":"https:\/\/mvec.mcri.edu.au\/zh\/references\/rabies\/","title":{"rendered":"\u72c2\u72ac\u75c5"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n

What is it?<\/h2>\n

R<\/span><\/span>abies <\/span>is<\/span> an acute viral <\/span>encephalomye<\/span>li<\/span>tis<\/span> (infl<\/span>ammatory disease of the brain and\/or spinal cord<\/span>)<\/span> caused by infection with the rabies virus<\/span>, a type of lyssa<\/span>virus. <\/span>Other lyssaviruses include <\/span>Australian bat l<\/span>yssavirus<\/span> (ABLV<\/span>)<\/span> and the European bat lyssavirus (EBLV)<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Rabies is transmitted to humans via bites or scratches <\/span>from<\/span> animals infected with the virus.<\/span> Infection with <\/span>the <\/span>rabies <\/span>virus<\/span>,<\/span> and other lyssaviruses<\/span>,<\/span> result<\/span>s<\/span> in <\/span>a<\/span> progressive <\/span>inflammation of the brain and spinal cord<\/span>. Without vaccination <\/span><\/span>and<\/span><\/span><\/span> effective post-exposure management<\/span>,<\/span> rabies<\/span> is <\/span>almost always<\/span> fatal<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What to look for<\/h2>\n

The incubation period of rabies is generally between 3 and 12 weeks, but the onset of symptoms has occurred as early as days after exposure or as long as 19 years later.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Early signs of infection involve non-specific symptoms, such as loss of appetite, cough, fever, headache, discomfort and fatigue, nausea and vomiting, and sore throat. There also may be discomfort, paraesthesia (prickling or itching sensation) and fasciculations (muscle twitching) at the site of the scratch or bite. A person may show signs of anxiety, confusion and agitation. These initial symptoms last 1 to 4 days. Following this, symptoms progress to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n