Generally speaking, rabies is mainly diagnosed through the patient’s medical history and symptoms. Currently, blood tests for rabies virus are relatively rare and detection is usually only possible in advanced stages. The diagnosis is therefore based on whether the patient has been scratched or bitten by a rabid cat or dog and the symptoms associated with the onset of the disease. For example, the patient may experience a sense of fear, a sensation of ants around the wound, and a severe hydrophobia, such as a severe spasm of the throat muscles when hearing water, drinking water, or even when mentioning water, which is a typical symptom of rabies. The patient will then develop a delayed paralysis and respiratory failure causing death.
