After an average of 30 to 50 days (as short as 14 days or as long as a year) from exposure to a rabid animal, a person may develop an illness that includes fever, sore throat, stiff muscles, headache, tiredness, restlessness, nausea, and itching or tingling at the bite site.  As the disease progresses, a person may become agitated, followed by periods of calm. When trying to drink water, severe throat spasms may cause fear of water. As the paralysis progresses, the legs become paralyzed, then the head becomes paralyzed. The majority of people die of cardiac arrest or respiratory failure within a short period of time after the onset of illness.