Limbic system symptoms of rabies infection.

Publisher: BMJ Pub. Group Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101526291 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1757-790X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1757790X NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMJ Case Rep Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : BMJ Pub. Group

Bites and Stings* ; Rabies*/diagnosis ; Rabies*/epidemiology ; Rabies Vaccines* ; Rabies virus*; Animals ; Humans ; Limbic System ; Male ; Phobic Disorders

Rabies is a fatal aggressive disease of the nervous system which predominantly causes motor and autonomic dysfunction. Limbic system involvement has been reported rarely, with limited data on its prevalence. The diagnosis becomes challenging when a patient presents with limbic system involvement in the absence of a clear history of an animal bite. We herein illustrate a case of a young man who presented with recurrent episodes of inappropriate ejaculation. He eventually developed hydrophobia and aerophobia, leading to a diagnosis of rabies. This case emphasises the importance of considering the possibility of rabies encephalitis when a patient presents with symptoms of limbic system involvement since early diagnosis helps in instituting appropriate public health measures and reducing exposure to infection. Furthermore, high-quality intensive care with supportive management is the mainstay of therapy in such patients until we have novel and effective antiviral drugs for rabies treatment.
Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.
(© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Keywords: Infection (neurology); Infection control in hospital; Vaccination/immunisation

0 (Rabies Vaccines)

Aerophobia

Date Created: 20220711 Date Completed: 20220713 Latest Revision: 20220729

20240105

PMC9274529

10.1136/bcr-2022-249965

35817494