Monday, October 24, 2011

Rabies Virus Infection Linked to Fear of Water and Increased Sex Drive in Human

A 28-year-old lady in India stumped her doctor when she came in to clinic complaining of increased libido. Four days later she died of rabies. It was determined that she had been bitten by a dog some 2 months earlier but had not sought treatment because it had been a puppy.

While fear of water (hydrophobia) is a commonly known symptom of rabies, hypersexuality can also be caused by the virus. Other symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, and general tiredness, discomfort, numbness or pain at the site of the bite. Later infected people may experience insomnia, anxiety, confusion, paralysis, excitability, hallucinations, agitation, hyper-salivation and difficulty swallowing.

It would be interesting to learn the mechanisms for such a change as hypersexuality. Could rabies be spread sexually? How might behavioral alteration benefit the virus itself?

Read more at: http://www.promedmail.org

Published Date: 2011-10-24 20:04:45
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Rabies - India (16): (TN) canine, human 
Archive Number: 20111024.3169

--Elena Jordan

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