The virus has a capacity to kill 99.9% of the people who become infected, making it one of the deadliest diseases in the world.2,3
Once rabies enters the central nervous system, it is almost 100% fatal4
Adapted from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.7
The Five Clinical Stages of Rabies4,8* |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Incubation | Prodrome | Acute Neurological Phase | Coma | Death | |
Duration | 5 days to >2 years | 0 – 10 days | 2 – 7 days | 5 – 14 days | Variable |
Symptoms8 | None | Fever Anorexia Nausea Vomiting Headache Malaise Lethargy Pain or paresthesias at bite site | Hyperventilation Hypoxia Aphasia Lack of coordination CNS signs (paresis, paralysis) Hydrophobia Pharyngeal spasms Confusion Delirium Hallucinations Marked hyperactivity Anxiety Agitation Depression | Pituitary dysfunction Hypoventilation Apnea Hypotension Cardiac arrhythmia Cardiac arrest Coma | Pneumothorax Intravascular thrombosis Secondary infections |
*Adapted from CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 2010.4
Learn more about how proper PEP administration can help prevent the rabies virus from spreading.
References: 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Vital Signs. Rabies: A Forgotten Killer. June 12, 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/rabies/. Accessed December 20, 2023. 2. Rupprecht C, Kuzmin I, Meslin F. Lyssaviruses and rabies: current conundrums, concerns, contradictions and controversies. F1000Research. 2017;6(F1000 Faculty Rev):184. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.10416.1. 3. Fooks AR, Banyard AC, Horton DL, Johnson N, McElhinney LM, Jackson AC. Current status of rabies and prospects for elimination. Lancet. 2014;384:1389-1399. 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Use of a reduced (4-dose) vaccine schedule for postexposure prophylaxis to prevent human rabies: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2010;59(2):1-9. 5. Data on file. Kamada Ltd. 6. KEDRAB [package insert]. Fort Lee, NJ: Kedrion Biopharma Inc.; 2021. 7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What is Rabies? November 30, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/about.html. Accessed December 20, 2023. 8. Consales CA, Bolzan VL. Rabies review: immunopathology, clinical aspects and treatment. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis. 2007;13(1):5-38.