Hydrophobia. Do You Suffer From Hydrophobia? [ ? ]Subscribe To This Site Best Technique To Get Rid Of Hydrophobia Hydrophobia is the other name for fear of water or you can say fear of swimming even. When talking about fear of water it does not mean a bucket of water. It usually means fear of getting drowned in deep water conditions. Aquaphobia is however the other way of referring to this type of phobia. This particular fear form can make you go out of control or it may also cause disturbance in your daily life. The worst part is that victims of aquaphobia experience levels of anxiety when they see an ocean, a river, a pond or even a bathtub full of water knowing jolly well that there is really nothing to be so much afraid of. The condition is such that the sufferers cannot help themselves from being afraid. A victim of aquaphobia always tries to avoid activities like boating and swimming. They even refuse to have baths and showers at home. Causes of Hydrophobia Hydrophobia as it is commonly known is caused either due to individual experiences or due to biological factors. You may have seen someone drowning or may have gone through similar experiences in life and this has caused the phobia.

Some have the feeling that once they are in the water they may lose breath and get drowned. You may come across people who will tell you that they dream of being drowned at night. They just cannot stand the sight of water. They develop the insanity in their behavior. Symptoms You are afraid to face reality in life You may experience full blown anxiety attack How To Treat Hydrophobia Treatments are several but not all of them are so effective. Success rates differ a lot. Some of the treatments do come with side effects too. Thus, it becomes very difficult for you to get rid of the situation. Some doctors may recommend you to have medicines to get rid of the condition, but medicines are temporary solutions. They can only subside the illness but can never cure it from the root. Best Technique To Get Rid Of Hydrophobia We know from NLP that the root of a phobia is an erroneous assemblage of your mental codes. NLP is a set of methods that have been refined and tested over several decades with hundreds of thousands of patients in many countries – and it’s been effective time and time again. The basis of the method is pretty simple.

NLP uses the power of imagination to reprogram your fear reactions through quick, painless, and long-lasting techniques. That is how NLP differs from other methods. NLP attacks the problem at the source and takes care of it for good. My Phobia Release Program teaches these well-established NLP techniques that are proven and effective. Medication, talk-therapy, and cognitive behaviour therapy only treat the symptoms. NLP cures the problem. There is a huge difference. You actually cure yourself by going into your unconscious mind and rearranging these mental codes. Your Hydrophobia will be gone forever! Fast and easy. Tired of Tiptoeing Around Your Fears? Cure Your Phobia In Just 10 Minutes A Day, Guaranteed! Whatever your phobia, regardless of how long you have suffered from it, despite the dreadful life limitations you have endured because of your fear, your phobia can be cured. Hydrophobia – Get Rid Of Your Fear Of Water [ ? ]Subscribe To This Site Do You Suffer From Hydrophobia? Hydrophobia is the second name for fear of water or swimming. This condition of fear is not there always.

It only affects your brain when you stand facing a source of water, like a pond, river or sea. However, a mere sight of water in a glass, jug or tub does not make you feel apprehensive and nervous. Aquaphobia or hydrophobia can ruin your normal existence. You may feel so afraid that the situation goes out of your control and you start behaving insane. Some victims of aquaphobia do not even prefer to take baths in a bathtub. However, what is most unfortunate about this condition is that the victim knows that there is nothing to be afraid of the water in oceans, lakes, rivers and creeks but he still cannot overcome the feeling. For him it seems it is all there in the water, which can cause his death. A victim of hydrophobia avoids activities like swimming and boating. At home, some are even afraid to go near showers and bathtubs. Experiences and biological factors – both are equally responsible for a condition of aquaphobia. You can become hydrophobic if you see someone drowning or it may also be caused due to an “instinctive reaction” to water or to a source of water.

Common symptoms of hydrophobia You find it difficult to utter words or make use of your logic You don’t know what you are doing – you tend to lose your rational sense Your mouth dries and you start shaking like anything As you feel suffocated, you can’t breathe Your heart beats faster and faster and you feel as if you are nearing death You are afraid to face reality and you experience full-scale anxiety attacks How can you develop hydrophobia? Auditory Modality Origin – When you read, hear or talk about an accident caused due to water you can have the phobia Subconscious Learning – This happens through early or childhood experiences and also due to dreams, secondary gains and positive intensions Indirect Learning Experience – When you visualize an incident of drowning or water accident, say in a film or a movie, you can have hydrophobia Direct Learning Experience – This happens when you experience the accident yourself. For example, you were about to get drowned when you went for a picnic with your friends at the riverside. After this, you cannot even stand the sight of a river, pond or any other source of water.

Treating hydrophobia with the help of self-help NLP techniques By making the rightful use of NLP self-help procedures, aquaphobia or the fear of water can be permanently dissolved. Here you convince your mind that there is nothing to be afraid of water or a source of water. With the help of self-help NLP techniques, you redesign and remodel your mental “constructs” and start attaching positive feelings to your thought process. Thus, there can be nothing better than self-help NLP techniques in treating conditions of hydrophobia. Tired of Tiptoeing Around Your Fears? 15 Minutes From Now, You Could Be Phobia-Free. Yes, Cured! Whatever your phobia, regardless of how long you have suffered from it, despite the dreadful life limitations you have endured because of your fear, your phobia can be cured. Why does rabies cause a fear of water? : askscience (45 children) The closest answer I could find was this: Aerophobia and hydrophobia can be demonstrated by blowing or fanning of air on the face or chest wall and by asking the patient to swallow water or mere offering a glass of water.

Intense startling reaction results from spasms of the accessory respiratory muscles of the neck, pharyngeal muscles and diaphragm followed by extension of the neck and a feeling of dyspnoea. During these episodes, they are extremely aroused and exhibit fearful facial expressions. The pathophysiological mechanism of hydrophobia, which is only observed in humans and not in rabid animals, is still not clear. The mental status alternates between periods of agitation and apparent normal mental status. As the disease progresses, confusion becomes severe and patients can become wild and aggressive. The period of agitation is gradually followed by impaired consciousness and coma. From i.e. Not really an answer. Based on my own training and knowledge, this is what I speculate: Swallowing and respiration are very complex, intertwined, and coordinated activities. It's is a tightly timed set of muscle actions.

You can read all about it here: We actually begin to alter our breathing in preparation for swallowing: The predominant respiratory pattern surrounding swallowing activity in healthy adults reported in the majority of these studies is the EX/EX pattern (expiration before the swallow and expiration after the swallow), followed next in order of frequency of occurrence by IN/EX (inspiration before the swallow and expiration after the swallow), and rarely by the EX/IN (expiration before the swallow and inhalation after the swallow) or IN/IN (inhalation before the swallow and inhalation after the swallow) patterns. Differently than animals: It should be mentioned that the pattern preference of expiration preceding swallowing is reversed in most animal models. Swallowing has been shown typically to occur during the inspiratory limb of respiration in unanesthetized, and anesthetized animals. In infant humans, the production of spontaneous swallows reportedly is equally distributed between the expiratory and inspiratory phases of respiration. The rabies virus basically disrupts several kinds of synaptic transmission in neurons and leads to neuronal death: (From first citation) Recent evidence has shown that the defective functioning of neurotransmitters in the brain may play a role in the pathogenesis.

Some studies have suggested that neuronal apoptosis rather than necrosis plays a role in the pathogenesis of rabies leading to fatality. So I hypothesize (since I can't find a clear, cited answer), that the hydrophobia is stemming from the respiratory/pre-swallowing cycle being disrupted by the rabies virus. Because this tightly timed set of muscle movements is happening all at once or just out of sync, I suspect it causes a severely painful choking sensation. The reason this looks like 'fear of water' rather than just choking is because we initiate the respiratory/pre-swallowing cycle before liquid ever hits our lips. As far as why it is seen in humans and not rabid animals, it could be related to the extra step in our swallowing cycle: In contrast to animals and infant humans, the larynx of adult humans descends with development and reaches its final position around the time of puberty. The lowered laryngeal position provides a unique resonating chamber for human voice and speech production, yet comprises the once anatomically protected airway from liquid and food entry during swallowing.

This optimal anatomic configuration for a resonant voice requires that the hyoid and larynx be lifted and pulled forward to prevent aspiration of a flowing bolus through the pharynx. And due to our cognitive abilities , we can associate choking with water and thus develop actual fear of it. EDIT: Learned aversion is apparently conserved across the animal kingdom, so this couldn't be responsible for the difference between humans and animals. This is not my area, so hopefully someone better can come along. (10 children) I replied below on my phone - but realized as I read through the rest of the comments there was no real mention of ACh. Acetylcholine (ACh) is the key neurotransmitter that this virus actually infects. After it enters the peripheral nerves, it travels retrograde up the axonal spinal tracts to the brain. Acetylcholine has a number of important roles in the body. Besides working as the main transmitter for skeletal muscle contraction initiation, it also has a role in smooth muscle. Our esophagus is a combination of both, and relies on the relaxation via an oropharyngeal reflex. A few things actually happen before we even put a bite of food into our mouth.

Our body sends impulses (via ACh) to begin salivating and moistening the inside of our mouths coating our mouths and pharynx. Once we put the food into our mouth, and begin swallowing cranial nerves (which are peripheral nerves and recall I mentioned Rabies virus attacks these) - signal to allow proper relaxation and contraction of the esophagus and closing of the larynx to prevent food from entering the lungs. ACh is the key neurotransmitter (along with a few other secondary messengers), that allow this mechanism to occur. A lot of people are mentioning the hydrophobia and foaming of saliva as a method of virulence for the virus. I had never heard of this before. I do know from what I've learned, that the virus relies on altering cognition of the host leading to severe neurological defects causing agitation. To the degree of biting someone as a form of virulence is something that needs to be expounded on and I'd love to see more studies on it. The virus does exhibit very similar signs/symptoms to a neurological defect referred to as "Kluver Bucy Syndrome," which has hyperphagia, hyperorality, hypersexuality, etc. as key signs.

It is fairly rare, but then so is rabies. Simply looking at it from a cell biology perspective though, it makes sense for the signs and symptoms patients commonly present with. The hydrophobia is just something that popular science has connected with rabies, but the underlying premise is that the throat has improper relaxation causing a sensation of choking, preventing the proper passage of saliva or water. The same could be said of food. It is not the virus leading to some underlying aversion to water. That is wrong to assume. It's like saying pancreatic cancer causes drastic weight loss. Pancreatic cancer in and of itself does not cause weight loss, but the underlying mechanisms specific to pancreatic cancer cause the drastic weight loss. I hope that makes sense. Source: Med student. (13 children) I posted this a couple years ago, no less true today: Biologist here. Rabies doesn't actually make you hydrophobic; it's more like guilt by association. After infection, it attacks and irritates your brain and spinal cord, causing muscle spasms and paralysis. One of the hallmarks is spastic paralysis of the cranial nerves that control the swallow reflex.

This means that any time the affected person tries to swallow anything--food, water, even saliva, hence the drooling--the muscles in their throat involuntarily spasm. The discomfort and choking caused by this dysfunctional reflex is the reason it's referred to as hydrophobia. You wouldn't want to drink anything either if it caused your entire throat to flip out. Hydrophobia is a misnomer. The reaction that people are referring to isn't actually a fear of water. It's a reaction that APPEARS aversive (choking, spitting, throat spasms) due to the extreme discomfort caused by swallowing ANYTHING. EDIT: Video of the reaction. Pt. 2: Maybe it'll be easier to think of like this. The video shows what looks like an aversive reaction. He kind of bobs his head away when he tries to bring the glass to his lips. That's not actually aversion, even though it looks anticipatory. Think of all the little things you do before you even get the glass to your lips when you drink--purse your lips, maybe stick your tongue out a little. That's the initiation of the swallow reflex, a very close relative of the gag reflex and the infant suck reflex.

Those involve a lot of muscles in pretty fast succession and tight coordination. Rabies does infect the entire brain, but the virus is found predominantly in the brain stem, the place where the spinal cord plugs in and where the medulla is located. His tongue, throat muscles, epiglottis (the trapdoor that covers your esophagus while you breathe and your trachea while you eat or drink) and even neck muscles instead spasm when that reflex is triggered because the rabies virus attacks the medulla, where the cranial nerves that make your tongue and throat work have their control centers, called their nucleus. When those nuclei go, so does the reflex. TL; DR: The rabies virus attacks the brainstem, which performs complicated reflexes without any actual thinking, so it's not the idea of water that's causing the problem, it's the total disruption of his most basic reflexes--swallow, gag, and suck. (114 children) As others have pointed out, swallowing when under the effects of rabies causes extreme pain- resulting in excess salivation. I cannot begin to hypothesize about the fascinating neurological circuitry involved in this mechanism. However, I can offer a simplified explanation combining Virology and evolution.

The primary mode of transmission of rabies from animal to animal or animal to human is through bites. The virus replicates inside the body and is secreted into saliva, whereupon it gains entrance to another host through a puncture wound like a bite (often due to the aggression/fear caused by the virus). Water washes saliva away. The virus is far less likely to spread from one host to another if the bite is clean. And a dead host is no use to a virus. Its chances are improved by the presence of a huge amount of saliva. Obviously this is not a conscious strategy on the virus' part, but rather an evolutionary adaptation it happened to pick up that worked for it. (0 children) There was a good RadioLab episode on this. Mechanisms aside (of which I see many good responses), it's beneficial for the virus if you aren't able to dilute/wash away your saliva. The virus is found in high concentrations in an infected person's saliva, and the infected person's behavior will be altered so that they'll attempt to bite others. Since the infected person is unable to swallow, their mouth is a "loaded gun" containing the rabies virus that will be transmitted upon breaking the skin with a bite.

The virus then crawls up the nervous system to the next host's brain, a process which takes weeks. That is why you have time to get the rabies vaccine even after you've been bitten. Hydrophobia - definition of hydrophobia by The Free Dictionary Hydrophobia - definition of hydrophobia by The Free Dictionary hy·dro·pho·bi·a (hī′drə-fō′bē-ə) 1. An abnormal fear of water. 2. Rabies. [Sense 2, from the fact that persons suffering from rabies refuse water because of painful throat spasms .] hydrophobia n 1. (Pathology) another name for rabies 2. (Psychiatry) a fear of drinking fluids, esp that of a person with rabies, because of painful spasms when trying to swallow. Compare aquaphobia hy•dro•pho•bi•a (ˌhaɪ drəˈfoʊ bi ə) 2. an abnormal or unnatural dread of water.

[1540–50; < Late Latin < Greek hydrophobía] hy·dro·pho·bi·a (hī′drə-fō′bē-ə) See rabies . Word History Hydrophobia is an older term for the disease rabies, and it means "fear of water." Because of this name, many people think that rabies makes one afraid of water. In fact, this is not the case (although rabies does cause mental confusion of other kinds). The name hydrophobia comes from the fact that animals and people with rabies get spasms in their throat muscles that are so painful that they cannot eat or drink, and so will refuse water in spite of being very thirsty. hydrophobia 1. hydrophobia - a symptom of rabies in humans consisting of an aversion to swallowing liquids symptom - (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease 2. hydrophobia - a morbid fear of water simple phobia - any phobia (other than agoraphobia) associated with relatively simple well-defined stimuli 3.

hydrophobia - an acute viral disease of the nervous system of warm-blooded animals (usually transmitted by the bite of a rabid animal); rabies is fatal if the virus reaches the brain zoonosis , zoonotic disease - an animal disease that can be transmitted to humans Translations hy·dro·pho·bi·a n. hidrofobia. 1. temor excesivo al agua; 2. pop. rabia. trastorno trasmitido por un animal infestado. hydrophobia n hidrofobia, terror m al agua (esp. en los rabiosos) Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content .

Link to this page: View in context Coast-road to Coquimbo -- Great Loads carried by the Miners -- Coquimbo -- Earthquake -- Step-formed Terrace -- Absence of recent Deposits -- Contemporaneousness of the Tertiary Formations -- Excursion up the Valley -- Road to Guasco -- Deserts -- Valley of Copiapo -- Rain and Earthquakes -- Hydrophobia -- The Despoblado -- Indian Ruins -- Probable Change of Climate -- River-bed arched by an Earthquake -- Cold Gales of Wind -- Noises from a Hill -- Iquique -- Salt Alluvium -- Nitrate of Soda -- Lima -- Unhealthy Country -- Ruins of Callao, overthrown by an Earthquake -- Recent Subsidence -- Elevated Shells on San Lorenzo, their decomposition -- Plain with embedded Shells and fragments of Pottery -- Antiquity of the Indian Race.

View in context A lock-jaw that bends a man's head back to his heels; hydrophobia that makes him bark at his wife and babes; insanity that makes him eat grass; war, plague, cholera, famine, indicate a certain ferocity in nature, which, as it had its inlet by human crime, must have its outlet by human suffering. Neuroscience for Kids - Rabies Rabies References In California during the summer of 2003, a 66-year-old man was bitten on the finger by a bat. Five weeks later, the man went to the emergency room. He complained of chest pain and said that over the past few weeks he had felt drowsy, weak and ill. The man's condition continued to get worse: he became confused, disoriented and developed a fever and breathing problems. A week after he entered the hospital, the man was dead. Tissue samples sent to the laboratory were found to contain the rabies virus carried by the silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans).

-- (Source: MMRR Weekly, January 23, 2004, 53:33-35) Human rabies is rare in the United States because people who are exposed to rabies can get shots to prevent the disease. Many people in countries without adequate control of rabies, however, are at risk for an infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that rabies kills 40,000 to 70,000 people each year and 10 million people are treated for exposure to rabies. What is Rabies? Rabies is a disease caused by a virus that attacks cells of the nervous system. A virus is a small germ. Viruses can cause diseases such as the flu, chicken pox, smallpox, measles and hepatitis. A virus can enter a cell of the body and multiply. The infected cell may die and the virus can move on to infect other cells. Once the rabies virus enters the body, it is picked up by peripheral nerves and transported to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). The virus moves toward the brain at a rate of between 12 to 100 mm/day.

Within nerve cells, the virus multiplies and then spreads to other parts of the body, including the salivary glands. Electron microscope photograph of the rabies virus. Rabies is spread through the saliva of an infected animal. People and other animals can get rabies if they are bitten or scratched by an infected animal. Bats and raccoons often carry rabies, but dogs, cats, skunks, foxes, wolves and coyotes can also be infected. The rabies virus belongs to the family of Rhabdoviruses. When seen with an electron microscope, the rabies virus has a bullet-shaped appearance. Cases of Animal Rabies, 2004. Cases of Animal Rabies, 2004 What are the Symptoms of Rabies? Symptoms of rabies usually start within two to eight weeks after a person is bitten. However, in rare cases, it may take more than a year for symptoms to develop. The first signs of rabies may look similar to the flu: Fever -- Headache -- Nausea -- Depression -- Sore Throat -- Stiff Muscles -- Loss of Appetite Pain, itching or tingling at the site of the bite may also be present.

These symptoms may be followed by more serious signs: Anxiety -- Confusion -- Convulsions -- Hallucinations -- Insomnia Paralysis -- Breathing Problems -- Coma Hydrophobia (fear of water) is seen in 50-80% of people infected with rabies. The fear of water develops because people have trouble swallowing. Some animals infected with rabies may become restless and aggressive. They might try to bite other animals or objects. Other infected animals may become shy and try to hide. Once rabies attacks the central nervous system, it causes encephalitis (brain swelling). Inflammation surrounding brain blood vessels is often seen. Areas of the brain frequently targeted by the rabies virus are the hippocampus, limbic areas, medulla and cerebellum. If rabies goes untreated, it is almost always fatal and there is no cure. How Can Rabies Be Prevented? Stay away from wild animals: if you go on hikes in the woods, do not pet or feed any animals you meet. Remember, bites and scratches can transmit rabies. Stay away from stray animals: you do not know if these animals have been vaccinated against rabies.

Discourage pests that may carry rabies: cover your trash cans and don't leave pet food outside for wild animals to get. Make sure your pets are vaccinated against rabies: effective vaccines are available for dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, cattle and sheep. The number of cases of animal rabies in pets and domesticated animals has been reduced since the 1950s when vaccination of these types of animals started. Rabies in wild animals is still high. Get yourself vaccinated: if you will be working or traveling in an area where you may encounter rabid animals (e.g., a veterinary office, wilderness, virus laboratory), you might consider getting vaccinated. Call the animal control office: if you see an animal behaving strangely. Some countries are attempting to vaccinate wild animals using an oral rabies vaccine. Food with the vaccine is dropped from planes into the wilderness. Animals who eat this food get a snack and are protected against rabies should they be exposed to the virus. How is Rabies Treated? If you are bitten by an animal: First aid: immediately wash the bite or scratch with soap and water. See a doctor: a series of injections given as soon as possible after a bite is usually effective in preventing rabies.

The first injection near the site of the bite contains antibodies that fight the rabies virus before it can reach the central nervous system. This protection lasts only a few weeks. A series of five injections given over the next few weeks helps a person make his or her own antibodies against the rabies virus. This provides long-lasting protection against rabies. Have the animal quarantined (if possible): the animal will be watched for 7-10 days to see if it develops signs of rabies. Did you know? Pets and animals | Global Alliance for Rabies Control Worldwide, dogs are the main natural reservoir of the rabies virus. Other reservoirs Other known natural reservoirs of rabies are skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and bats. Theoretically any mammal can contract rabies and then transmit the disease to another mammal (including people). Bats Bats can be infected with rabies, and bats that are behaving abnormally (eg crawling on the ground or trapped in a room) are likely to be rabid. In extremely rare cases, humans have been infected because they inhaled aerosoled saliva that contained the virus (for example, in caves with large bat populations).

Cats Individually cats can become infected by rabies and they can transmit the disease. However, cat populations are not resevoirs of the disease. This means that the disease does not circulate in cat populations and the incidence of rabies in cats is relatively rare. Rodents Similarly, small rodents are not reservoirs of rabies: a bite from a squirrel, rat, mouse, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, chipmunk or gerbil does not generally require post exposure prophylaxis. However, larger rodents such as groundhogs and beavers have occasionally developed rabies. Vaccinate your pets according to the recommended schedule. Take your pet to the veterinarian for a booster shot if you know they have been bitten by a potentially rabid animal. Keep you dog on a leash when outdoors to limit its interaction with wild and/or stray animals. Spay or neuter your pet to prevent unwanted animals. Stray dogs are the major cause of rabies in people. We're working to develop humane methods of dog population control. Please donate to help us Should I have my dog or cat vaccinated? Yes – even if they spend most of their time indoors.

You and your family have a lot of contact with your pets and if they contract rabies there is a high chance of them passing it to you before you know there is a problem. In many countries it is a legal requirement that house pets by vaccinated against rabies. Vaccinating your animals against rabies protects them and is an important step to reducing risk for you and your family. Often you can’t tell by looking. However, a rabid animal may stagger or stumble. It may display unprovoked aggressive behavior or be over-friendly. Animals with advanced rabies may foam at the mouth. This is because the rabies virus affects the salivary glands causing hyper-salivation. They may also develop hydrophobia (fear of water). If an animal shows any of these signs, you should contain it to prevent possible exposure either to you, your family, or another animal. However, none of these symptoms are definitive signs that an animal has rabies. To verify an infection, a brain tissue sample must be tested for rabies. For this the animal must be euthanized. I found a bat in my room - what should I do? Leave the room and close the door. Contact an animal control officer.

Do not attempt to catch the bat yourself. Determine whether anyone in your household (including pets) could have been exposed to the bat. Contact a medical professional, veterinarian, or public health official to report the exposure and ask about rabies vaccination. Often, people are not aware when they are bitten by a bat. If you should wake up and notice a bat in the room, contact a medical professional immediately. Bite marks from bats are sometimes hard to see because they have small teeth and it is possible for rabies transmission from a bat to go unnoticed. Rabies Questions and Answers Page Questions and Answers about Rabies What is rabies? Rabies is a viral infection that affects the nervous system of mammals. It invariably causes swelling of the brain and death after a relatively short illness. How is rabies transmitted? The rabies virus is found in the nervous tissue of infected mammals. As the virus works its way to the brain, it begins to be secreted in the saliva of the animal. People and mammals get rabies when infectious saliva is introduced into the body, usually through a bite from an infected animal. Rabies transmissions from other types of exposures are extremely rare.

These types of exposures include saliva or nervous tissue entering an open wound or saliva or nervous tissue coming into contact with a mucous membrane such as the eyes, nose or mouth. What are the symptoms of rabies in people? After an average of 30 to 50 days (as short as 14 days or longer than a year) from exposure to a rabid animal, a person develops an illness that may include fever, sore throat, stiff muscles, headache, tiredness, restlessness, nausea, and itching or tingling at the site of the bite. As the disease progresses, a person may become agitated, with periods of calm. Fear of water caused by severe throat spasms when trying to drink may occur. Paralysis then starts in the legs and moves towards the head. Most people die from cardiac arrest or respiratory failure within a short period after onset of illness. What are symptoms of rabies in animals? The animal may have a change in personality or behavior. For example, wild animals may lose their fear of humans or pets may become aggressive or withdraw. Often the animal does not eat, may fear water, and have an unsteady gait. Paralysis may start in the rear quarters and progress to the front of the body.

What should I do if I am bitten by an animal or exposed to the saliva of a possibly rabid animal? NDDoH Rabies Exposure Assessment Algorithm (PDF) First, thoroughly wash the wound with soap and running water. Gather as much information about the animal as possible. Contact your physician as soon as possible and notify your local public health unit or the state health department as well as local law enforcement. How long is the rabies virus infectious after it is outside of the rabid animal? The rabies virus is a very fragile virus. As soon as the saliva dries, the virus is no longer infectious. The virus is easily killed by soaps, detergents, bleach, alcohol and ultraviolet light. What will happen to the animal after a person has been bitten or otherwise exposed? NDDoH Rabies Exposure Assessment Algorithm (PDF) If the animal is a healthy domestic dog, cat or ferret it should be confined and held for observation for 10 days. A licensed veterinarian must examine the animal at the beginning and end of the 10-day observation period. If the animal develops symptoms suggestive of rabies, it should be humanely destroyed and the brain sent for testing.

If the animal is healthy at the end of the 10-day period, then no rabies exposure occurred and the person bitten will not need rabies vaccination. If the animal is not a domestic dog, cat or ferret, it should be captured, humanely destroyed and the brain sent for rabies testing. If the animal is a domesticated farm animal (cow, horse, etc.), consult with your physician and veterinarian. "Other biting animals that might have exposed a person to rabies should be reported immediately to the local health department. Management of animals other than dogs, cats, and ferrets depends on the species, the circumstances of the bite, the epidemiology of rabies in the area, the biting animal's history, current health status, and the animal's potential for exposure to rabies. Previous vaccination of these animals might not preclude the necessity for euthanasia and testing." What to do with an animal that has bitten a person. (2011). Retrieved from What is meant by confinement?

Confinement in North Dakota, as it pertains to rabies, means separation of an animal from humans (other than the owner, caretaker, a member of the owner's family or the caretaker's employees) and from other animals, by means of a building, cage, fence, pen or other secure enclosure that restricts the animal's movement within definite boundaries and prevents the animal from exiting the enclosure. Why can a healthy domestic dog, cat, or ferret be held for ten days? Studies have shown that dogs, cats, and ferrets only shed the rabies virus in their saliva for a short period of time (usually 4 to 5 days) before they develop symptoms. If the animal has not developed symptoms by the tenth day after the exposure then the animal would not have been shedding the virus at the time of the exposure. Why can't the ten-day observation period be used for other animals? Only domestic dogs, cats, and ferrets have been studied enough to determine with certainty the period of viral shedding. Although this period of viral shedding may be similar for other species of animals, without more studies, there is too much uncertainty and too great of risk for error. What if the animal is not available for observation or testing?

NDDoH Rabies Exposure Assessment Algorithm (PDF) If you have been bitten or otherwise exposed to the saliva of an animal that is not available for observation or testing, contact your physician, local public health unit or state public health department and local law enforcement. If it was a domestic dog, cat, or ferret, try to locate the animal or the owner of the animal. If the animal cannot be located, speak with your physician, as you may need to start preventive treatment for rabies which will include the rabies vaccine. Does an animal have to be destroyed to be tested for rabies? Yes, the only proven test is to examine the brain for the rabies virus. Blood tests have proven not to be reliable. Because rabies is so serious, the test needs to be as accurate and reliable as possible. What if the owner of an animal who has bitten someone refuses to have it evaluated for rabies? In situations where the owner refuses to have an animal evaluated for rabies, you should contact local law enforcement officials. How can I protect myself from rabies? Vaccinate your domestic dog, cat, or ferret (and be sure to keep the animal's vaccinations up-to-date).

For more information on each state's vaccination laws, please see the American Veterinary Medical Association website . Avoid contact with wild or stray animals, and domestic/wild hybrid animals. Do not touch dead animals. Keep wild animals out of homes, workplaces and other dwellings. Report stray, sick, and injured animals to local animal control authorities or law enforcement officials. What is a domestic/wild hybrid? A domestic/wild hybrid is the offspring of a domestic animal crossed with a wild animal. The most common example is a domestic dog/wolf hybrid. Although wolves may be raised in captivity, they are still considered wild animals. Are there any vaccines for wild or hybrid animals? At this time no vaccines have been approved for wild or hybrid animals. Although some zoos vaccinate their animals for rabies, this is only done to try to protect the animals from rabies. A wild or hybrid animal that bites a person should be humanely destroyed and the brain submitted for rabies testing. If the animal is a valuable specimen (at a zoo, for example) then rabies shots can be given to the exposed person instead of destroying the animal.

What happens if my dog, cat, or ferret is bitten or fights with a wild animal or another animal that may have rabies? If the animal that bit your pet can be captured, have the animal's brain tested for rabies. If the test is negative for rabies and your pet has not been vaccinated, you should vaccinate your pet immediately. If the biting animal tested positive for rabies and the pet is current on its rabies vaccination, the pet should be given a booster vaccine immediately. Observe your pet for 45 days for any symptoms of rabies after the booster shot. If the biting animal tested positive for rabies and your pet has never been vaccinated, the recommendation is to put the pet down. If you are unwilling to euthanize the pet, it must be confined for 6 months and vaccinated against rabies (the rabies vaccine must be administered at least 1 month prior to release).

If the biting animal tested positive for rabies and the pet is NOT current on its rabies vaccination (i.e., it was vaccinated against rabies in the past, but is now overdue for a booster vaccination), it should be evaluated based on severity of exposure, time elapsed since last vaccination, number of previous vaccinations, current health status, and local rabies epidemiologic factors to determine need for euthanasia or immediate revaccination and observation with isolation. If the animal cannot be captured, assume it is rabid and proceed as described above. Our dog killed a skunk and when I handled the dog after the attack it was all wet. Could I have been exposed to rabies by handling the dog? Although there may have been skunk saliva on the dog, the risk of an actual exposure is very low. The saliva has to enter an open wound or get onto mucous membranes. If this did not happen, there was no rabies exposure. If you think you were exposed, call your health care provider. You will want to test the skunk to see if it was rabid in this situation.

The test results will be needed by you and your veterinarian to determine what to do with your dog, and it can be used by you and your health care provider to make a determination about your possible exposure. What if I have livestock exposed to rabies? All species of livestock are susceptible to rabies. As with domestic pets, livestock that have been vaccinated for rabies (with a vaccine approved by USDA for that species) should be revaccinated immediately and observed for 45 days. If the animal has not been vaccinated, it should be euthanized. The animal can be used for human consumption if it is slaughtered within 7 days of exposure, provided liberal amounts of the tissue around the exposed area (bite) are discarded. Consult with your veterinarian. What if I am bitten by a mouse or gopher? Small rodents, including mice, rats, gophers, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits and hares, rarely have rabies and are not known to have transmitted rabies to humans. You should always consult with your physician regarding bites from these animals. Depending on the circumstances, the animal may need to be humanely destroyed and the brain tested for rabies.

Bites or saliva exposure from other larger rodents such as muskrats or groundhogs may result in a rabies exposure. What animal serves as the reservoir for rabies in North Dakota? The skunk serves as the primary reservoir for rabies in North Dakota. Any bite from a skunk should be considered an exposure to rabies until a laboratory test indicates otherwise. Do bats in North Dakota get rabies? Any mammal, including bats can get rabies. Bites from bats may not be easily noticed. Bats have small teeth and bites may cause very little discomfort. You should contact your physician or a public health department if you come into contact with a bat or find a bat in your home. Can a person get rabies shots before they are exposed? Pre-exposure rabies vaccines are recommended only for people at increased risk of coming into contact with rabies. Such people include rabies laboratory workers, veterinarians, animal control officers, and cave explorers. Some people may get pre-exposure shots when they travel to developing countries. Consult your health care provider or public health department for more information. I work in a high risk occupation where I have a greater risk of being exposed to rabies. What is recommended for me?

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that you receive pre-exposure vaccination. This consists of three doses of vaccine administered on days 0, 7 and 21 or 28. You should be tested for protective antibody every 2 years and booster vaccination is recommended for unacceptable antibody levels. If you are working in a rabies research laboratory or are a rabies biologic production worker then you should have your antibody level checked every 6 months. If I need rabies shots, what should I expect? If you never had rabies shots before, then you can expect to receive four doses of vaccine over a 14 day period and a dose of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) on the same day as the first dose of vaccine. Rabies immunoglobulin provides immediate protection against rabies until your body has responded to the vaccine and makes its own antibodies to rabies. If you have been vaccinated previously with one of the currently licensed vaccines, you will still need two booster doses of rabies vaccine. The first dose should be given as soon as possible and the second dose three days later. Rabies immunoglobulin should NOT be given.

What are the side effects of the vaccine? As with most vaccines the most common side effect is soreness and redness at the site of the injection. More severe reactions are rare and often related to allergies to the ingredients in the vaccine. Contact your health care provider if you are having any health effects which you think might be related to the vaccine. Are the rabies shots given in the stomach? No, the rabies vaccine has not been given in the stomach since the 1980s. For adults, it should only be given in the deltoid muscle of the upper arm (administration to the gluteal area is NOT recommended, as studies have shown this can result in a less effective immune response). For children, the anterolateral aspect of the thigh is also an acceptable site (depending on the child's age and body mass). Rabies immunoglobulin is recommended to be given at the site of the bite, if possible. When is it too late to start rabies vaccinations after an exposure? Ideally, the vaccination series should begin as soon as possible after an exposure has occurred and a health care provider has determined rabies vaccination is warranted.

Usually you can wait for test results from a healthy domestic animal to see if rabies shots are needed. Bites and exposures from wild animals should be treated as if the animal were rabid until rabies has been ruled out. There have been instances when a person did not start rabies shots for months after an exposure because the exposure was never suspected. Once a person develops rabies symptoms it is too late to vaccinate against rabies! How much does rabies vaccine cost? Rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin is very expensive. A typical vaccination series with the rabies immunoglobulin can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $7,000+ per person. As a local law enforcement official, what can I do protect the public from rabies? If your jurisdiction has rabies vaccination ordinances and leash laws, enforcing these ordinances will help reduce the risk of rabies in your communities. Enforcing the proper confinement of animals that have bitten a person helps ensure that the animal will not escape during the observation period, so a veterinarian can declare the animal in question healthy. It also minimizes the risk for other people or animals to be exposed to the confined animal and helps prevent people from getting unneeded rabies shots.

Where can I send an animal brain for rabies testing? The brain can be sent to the North Dakota Department of Health Division of Laboratory Services or to the North Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for testing. Please contact one of the labs for more information.

Question: Of what are you afraid if you suffer from hydrophobia?
Answer: Water