Hydrophobia - Causes of rabies
- See what the doctor sees with Map of Medicine
- Introduction
- Symptoms of rabies
- Causes of rabies
- Diagnosing rabies
- Treating rabies
- Rabies vaccination
- Brierlie's story
The rabies virus belongs to a group of viruses called lyssaviruses, which can infect mammals.
The virus is passed on to humans through an infected animal's saliva.
How rabies spreads
Rabies can spread to humans from infected animals through a bite, a scratch, or a lick to broken skin or the eye. You may also be at risk if an animal spits in your face.
Once it enters the body, the rabies virus multiplies before spreading into nerve endings. It then travels to the spinal cord and brain (the central nervous system). Once the virus is in the central nervous system, it will spread to the salivary glands, lungs, kidneys and other organs.
While in theory it is possible for rabies to spread between humans, this has so far only happened as a result of infected donated organs. These human-to-human cases are very rare and have not occurred in the UK.
Animals that carry rabies
All mammals can carry rabies. However, the following species are more commonly infected:
- dogs
- bats
- raccoons
- foxes
- jackals
- cats
- mongooses
- monkeys
The disease has largely been eliminated from the animal population of the UK, and infections in the UK are almost always picked up during travel abroad.
In developing countries, particularly those in Africa and Asia, the majority of rabies cases are caused by dog bites. In South America, bats are also a significant cause.
You should seek immediate medical advice if you are worried you may have been infected by an animal while abroad.
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