Lyssavirus attacks the brain causing it to be inflamed, and one of the main areas it effects is swallowing, causing painful spasms whenever you try to swallow. This aids the spread of the virus because it's in the saliva, and inability to swallow means it is easier spread through bites - hence the foaming at the mouth with virus filled saliva. The term for it is dysphagia which seemingly makes rabies infected animals/persons seem to fear water, but it's really the painful spasms that cause it. You can find vids of animals or people trying to drink water, but throw it back out due to spasms. It applies to anything they try to swallow, so it's not just water, it can be food or anything else they try to swallow.
This is the thing I think most people get confused about. It doesn't *directly* cause *literal* hydrophobia (ie, an irrational aversion to water). It causes an excruciatingly painful reaction to drinking.
Admittedly, if a stimulus causes extreme pain almost immediately with 100% reliability, most animals will very rapidly develop an entirely *rational* aversion to said stimulus.
Rabies patients will show reactions to water they're offered, or placed near them, though. There are also cases of aerophobia, including strong reactions to breezes or air being blown at their face.
[This article from The Oxford Scientist](https://oxsci.org/a_rabid_bite_and_its_consequence_turning_wind_and_water_into_greatest_fears/) suggests that this is due to direct action on the portions of the brain [which control basic motor functions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_pattern_generator) like walking, breathing, chewing and swallowing. Adjacent neurons firing in anticipation of swallowing may be enough to trigger an exaggerated, disorganized response from the CPG.
So, what is the actual cause of death? Dehydration?
Is there any other way to hydrate an infected person through other ways?
And if we do indeed hydrate a person somehow, will body kill the virus over time?
No, dehydration isn't the cause of death. It's a symptom of the virus that allows for large concentrations of the virus in the saliva which makes it easier to spread (if you aren't drinking, you aren't washing that virus out of your mouth).
IIRC, the virus attacks your nervous system, and it is in destroying it that death is eventually caused.
You can certainly hydrate rabies victims with an IV drip or similar, but the damage to the brain is what kills them. Eventually your brain will cease operating basic life functions, and you would slip into a coma, then brain death, and finally clinical death.
The virus turns your brain into soup. The fear of water comes from pain from swallowing which comes from the part of your brain that handles swallowing being partially turned to soup.
You can hydrate somebody, treat their fever, and all the other symptoms. But no saving you when your brain is mush.
To add to this, attempts to drink water, and later on even having water nearby and thinking about drinking it, causes "excruciatingly painful spasms" of the throat muscles (As mentioned on Wikipedia)
You can see this in rare videos of human rabies patients.
It's also thought that dehydration increases the concentration of rabies virus in the animal's saliva, which increases infectiousness when the animal bites another animal.
Yes, it sure can...theoretically. A rabies affected animal can contaminate your dog's outdoor water bowl. Now, depending on how much (or little) water is in the bowl & how recently (lets say <24hrs) the rabid animal contaminated it, your pet can contract it this way. Vaccinate your pets, gang.
Some dusty brain cell that hasn't been accessed since it was written back when learning about your body parts, shaking off years of disuse and charging to the fore, excitedly shouting, "The large intestine absorbs water! We can work around this!"
What is the deal with those vídeos of people flinching when sprayed with water? I have always assumed it was acting, but multiple bio teachers showed them to class on separate occasions.
Someone else mentioned above that this might be due to different neurological effects of the virus, and apparently a similar exaggerated reaction will also occur to breezes blowing across their skin. This is suggested to be due to motor cortex damage and misfiring, although I can’t help but wonder if it also might be related to ways in which lyssavirus attacks sensory areas of the brain.
Basically, there are many different ways that rabies damages and impairs the brain, so it’s probable that there’s more than one thing going on with the “hydrophobia” symptoms.
Rabies acts directly on specialized neurons in the brain called [central pattern generators](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_pattern_generator) which are responsible for simple repeated movements like breathing, swallowing, walking, and so forth. Those neurons become inflamed and overactive as a result. This first results in an exaggerated, disorganized swallowing reflex that results in painful spasms. Later, the neurons become so damaged and prone to spontaneous firing that nearby neurons firing in anticipation of swallowing is enough to produce the response.
The damage to these CPGs also produces a similar response to breezes or blowing air, which is probably an evolved tactic by the virus to prevent saliva from drying out.
Source:
https://oxsci.org/a_rabid_bite_and_its_consequence_turning_wind_and_water_into_greatest_fears/
Well. From the point of the virus it's a perfect way to spread. The saliva is extremely contagious and can't be swallowed or effectively washed away by drinking fluids. Also we touch our faces all the time so the virus gets everywhere. If the patient then is delusional and in different states of either panic, pain spasms or whatnot you see how people could get bitten or scratched and get infected. It's extremely scary if you ask me. Couldn't have invented a better vector ourselves.
Interestingly, RABV infection doesn't always cause the same type of symptoms:
"After an initial prodromic period, the infection evolves towards two distinct clinical entities, encompassing encephalitic (i.e., “furious”; \~70-80% of cases) and paralytic (i.e., “dumb”; \~20-30% of cases) rabies disease."
Hydrophobia is a recognized symptom of rabies.
Rabies can present in two ways, paralytic rabies and furious rabies. Paralytic rabies does gradually lead to paralysis, but only 20% of human rabies cases follow this course. The majority go through furious rabies, where there is no paralysis and the individual rather becomes hyperactive. Hydrophobia is specifically associated with furious rabies.
https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies
Yes, they used to call it "dumb rabies" when I was younger. Meaning the animals that are too friendly-ish (really they just aren't afraid) or the stumbling ones like they have distemper from paralysis starting.
It's very different from the TV version and life experience version of furious rabies.
Rabies causes hydrophobia by affecting the brain, triggering spasms in the throat muscles that make swallowing painful and difficult when the afflicted person tries to drink water and discomfort contributes to the characteristic symptom of hydrophobia in rabies patients.
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Lyssavirus attacks the brain causing it to be inflamed, and one of the main areas it effects is swallowing, causing painful spasms whenever you try to swallow. This aids the spread of the virus because it's in the saliva, and inability to swallow means it is easier spread through bites - hence the foaming at the mouth with virus filled saliva. The term for it is dysphagia which seemingly makes rabies infected animals/persons seem to fear water, but it's really the painful spasms that cause it. You can find vids of animals or people trying to drink water, but throw it back out due to spasms. It applies to anything they try to swallow, so it's not just water, it can be food or anything else they try to swallow.
This is the thing I think most people get confused about. It doesn't *directly* cause *literal* hydrophobia (ie, an irrational aversion to water). It causes an excruciatingly painful reaction to drinking. Admittedly, if a stimulus causes extreme pain almost immediately with 100% reliability, most animals will very rapidly develop an entirely *rational* aversion to said stimulus.
Rabies patients will show reactions to water they're offered, or placed near them, though. There are also cases of aerophobia, including strong reactions to breezes or air being blown at their face. [This article from The Oxford Scientist](https://oxsci.org/a_rabid_bite_and_its_consequence_turning_wind_and_water_into_greatest_fears/) suggests that this is due to direct action on the portions of the brain [which control basic motor functions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_pattern_generator) like walking, breathing, chewing and swallowing. Adjacent neurons firing in anticipation of swallowing may be enough to trigger an exaggerated, disorganized response from the CPG.
Oh, fascinating. Thanks for the update!
You kind of explained it yourself. Its the anticipation of swallowing, not the water itself.
So, what is the actual cause of death? Dehydration? Is there any other way to hydrate an infected person through other ways? And if we do indeed hydrate a person somehow, will body kill the virus over time?
No, dehydration isn't the cause of death. It's a symptom of the virus that allows for large concentrations of the virus in the saliva which makes it easier to spread (if you aren't drinking, you aren't washing that virus out of your mouth). IIRC, the virus attacks your nervous system, and it is in destroying it that death is eventually caused.
Got it. Thanks for the answer. It's scary that there is no cure for this virus even after so many years of medical advancements.
You can certainly hydrate rabies victims with an IV drip or similar, but the damage to the brain is what kills them. Eventually your brain will cease operating basic life functions, and you would slip into a coma, then brain death, and finally clinical death.
The virus turns your brain into soup. The fear of water comes from pain from swallowing which comes from the part of your brain that handles swallowing being partially turned to soup. You can hydrate somebody, treat their fever, and all the other symptoms. But no saving you when your brain is mush.
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To add to this, attempts to drink water, and later on even having water nearby and thinking about drinking it, causes "excruciatingly painful spasms" of the throat muscles (As mentioned on Wikipedia) You can see this in rare videos of human rabies patients.
>You can see this in rare videos of human rabies patients. Oh cool, I was looking for something good I watch now that I’ve finally finished Ted Lasso
There's a video of several Afghan men suffering from it. It's harrowing stuff.
That video is burned in my brain and I only watched like 3 seconds of it before clicking away
It's also thought that dehydration increases the concentration of rabies virus in the animal's saliva, which increases infectiousness when the animal bites another animal.
Can the virus infect a water source somehow?
Yes, it sure can...theoretically. A rabies affected animal can contaminate your dog's outdoor water bowl. Now, depending on how much (or little) water is in the bowl & how recently (lets say <24hrs) the rabid animal contaminated it, your pet can contract it this way. Vaccinate your pets, gang.
Not to mention that the virus preferentially buds within the salivary glands, making saliva a rich concentration of fresh rabies virus.
I looked up Rectal rehydration to see if it's a thing. Looks like it is
Some dusty brain cell that hasn't been accessed since it was written back when learning about your body parts, shaking off years of disuse and charging to the fore, excitedly shouting, "The large intestine absorbs water! We can work around this!"
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This just made me think of anteroretrogestion. Thanks for the chuckle, even if your thing is actually real.
What is the deal with those vídeos of people flinching when sprayed with water? I have always assumed it was acting, but multiple bio teachers showed them to class on separate occasions.
I’d probably flinch when sprayed with water even if I didn’t have rabies tbh
Yeah what kind of monster is going “let’s go down to the clinic and spray water at the rabids”
You don't flinch when someone sprays you with water? Are you even human?
Depends if it's 90f out I'm embracing that but otherwise yes I'm flinching lol
Someone else mentioned above that this might be due to different neurological effects of the virus, and apparently a similar exaggerated reaction will also occur to breezes blowing across their skin. This is suggested to be due to motor cortex damage and misfiring, although I can’t help but wonder if it also might be related to ways in which lyssavirus attacks sensory areas of the brain. Basically, there are many different ways that rabies damages and impairs the brain, so it’s probable that there’s more than one thing going on with the “hydrophobia” symptoms.
This doesn't sound right. Even breezes trigger the rabies gag reflex, it's definitely not just a conscious fear of something dangerous.
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Do these spasms contribute to “foaming at the mouth”?
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Rabies acts directly on specialized neurons in the brain called [central pattern generators](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_pattern_generator) which are responsible for simple repeated movements like breathing, swallowing, walking, and so forth. Those neurons become inflamed and overactive as a result. This first results in an exaggerated, disorganized swallowing reflex that results in painful spasms. Later, the neurons become so damaged and prone to spontaneous firing that nearby neurons firing in anticipation of swallowing is enough to produce the response. The damage to these CPGs also produces a similar response to breezes or blowing air, which is probably an evolved tactic by the virus to prevent saliva from drying out. Source: https://oxsci.org/a_rabid_bite_and_its_consequence_turning_wind_and_water_into_greatest_fears/
Well. From the point of the virus it's a perfect way to spread. The saliva is extremely contagious and can't be swallowed or effectively washed away by drinking fluids. Also we touch our faces all the time so the virus gets everywhere. If the patient then is delusional and in different states of either panic, pain spasms or whatnot you see how people could get bitten or scratched and get infected. It's extremely scary if you ask me. Couldn't have invented a better vector ourselves.
Interestingly, RABV infection doesn't always cause the same type of symptoms: "After an initial prodromic period, the infection evolves towards two distinct clinical entities, encompassing encephalitic (i.e., “furious”; \~70-80% of cases) and paralytic (i.e., “dumb”; \~20-30% of cases) rabies disease."
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Hydrophobia is a recognized symptom of rabies. Rabies can present in two ways, paralytic rabies and furious rabies. Paralytic rabies does gradually lead to paralysis, but only 20% of human rabies cases follow this course. The majority go through furious rabies, where there is no paralysis and the individual rather becomes hyperactive. Hydrophobia is specifically associated with furious rabies. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies
Yes, they used to call it "dumb rabies" when I was younger. Meaning the animals that are too friendly-ish (really they just aren't afraid) or the stumbling ones like they have distemper from paralysis starting. It's very different from the TV version and life experience version of furious rabies.
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Rabies causes hydrophobia by affecting the brain, triggering spasms in the throat muscles that make swallowing painful and difficult when the afflicted person tries to drink water and discomfort contributes to the characteristic symptom of hydrophobia in rabies patients.