Hydrophobia – Rabies

Hydrophobia means fear of water. The other name for it is rabies, which a disease in the central nervous system, this generally affects warm blooded beings. It is an infection transmitted to humans by the animals it is called a zoonotic disease. This condition triggers swelling of the brain and is passed on through the saliva into the bloodstream, due to a bite by the animal who is also suffering from the condition, the animal is generally a dog.
This condition generally life threatening of not treated immediately, because the disease develops it in most of the cases leads to death.
Approximately fifty five thousand people in the world lose their lives every year due to being bite by an animal who suffers from this condition. It is not necessary that rabies transmits through a bite from the infected animal, even if the infected animal licks on an exposed wound or a starch the disease can be transmitted.
This condition causes deaths in large numbers in many countries the most number of deaths are from India, whereas Africa, South America and Asia altogether report around ninety five percent deaths. On the other hand UK is declared as a Rabies Free country.
In the northern Europe two kinds of rabies kind virus were detected, these are called EBLVs 1 and 2, that is European Bat Lyssaviruses, these are commonly called bat rabies. There are rare cases of this virus in humans or other creatures.

Symptoms

The indications of rabies start showing in a few cases in about a week’s time or it can even go up to a year prior to the start of the infection, the average time is about 4 to 8 weeks, this time period prior to the infection is called incubation period. The duration of the incubation period varies, if the bite is on the leg or arm it takes longer for the sings to show, whereas if the bite is on the head, neck or the face it takes a shorter duration to show the signs of the disease.
Rabies starts with an irritation or ache in the region of the bite, there would also be loss of appetite, fever and headache, all this if the animals bite is not treated on time. The two possible ways can build up are called dumb rabies and furious rabies.
In the case of dumb rabies, which is not so common, the indications are that the muscles get paralysed and spreads all over the body, and this in turn leads to lung and heart failure. This condition usually affects the spinal cord.
Generally rabies of both the kinds leads to paralysis of the whole body, followed by coma and then death follows up. This normally takes place a week after the indications turn critical.
In the case of furious rabies the indications are restlessness, stiffness in the neck, uncertainty, fretfulness and at times even convulsions that is sudden violent actions or fits. An increased sensitivity to light, temperature and sound may be felt and also the pupils seem to appear enlarged. In weeks time the people suffering from this condition star showing their fear towards swallowing. Even though they are extremely thirsty, when they try to take in water their diaphragm and throat muscles start contracting. This feeling is called Hydrophobia.
This condition starts to get worse, even the slightest of sound of water they start feeling the same contractions, and there is also distorted behaviour at intervals along with biting, spitting and delirium. There is also development of hallucinations and delusions.