The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord.
The brain functions to receive nerve impulses from the spinal cord
and cranial nerves. The spinal cord contains the nerves that carry
messages between the brain and the body. The rabies virus spreads
through the nerves of the brain and spinal cord first causing
flu-like symptoms such as fever and malaise. As the disease
advances it causes anxiety, confusion, brain dysfunction,
progressing to hallucinations, delirium, and insomnia. If left
untreated, rabies is nearly always fatal.
Review Date: 01/13/2010
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason
Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve,
MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
