Featured Image Credit: V. Nikiforov MD (PhD)
Topics: Health, News, World News
Niamh Spence
A video shows a patient with rabies with a 'fear of water', as he describes being 'afraid' when offered a cup of water.
Rabies is a 'rare but serious infection', according to the UK's National Health Service (NHS), which is usually the result of a 'a bite or scratch of an infected animal' - which is usually infected dogs.
As per MedicalNewsToday, symptoms of rabies include confusion, partial paralysis, convulsions, producing a lot of saliva, and a 'fear of water or hydrophobia'.
In particular, the fear of water is a symptom that has confused a lot of medical professionals, and in this video, a man is shown to be exhibiting this phobia.
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The video, which has been shared on Reddit, is reported to be from 2008 and from the Neurology Department of 6th Moscow Clinic, and is looking the effects of rabies under the expertise of Dr V. Nikiforov.
In the video, as the cup of water is offered, the male patient says: "I'll try, but...look what happens, I'm afraid."
A person off camera then comments: "He began to feel bad after previous drinking."
The video continues as the man appears to hyperventilate and become agitated when offered the cup before turning away and refusing to drink it.
He then claims it is the same with food and he can't face it.
In another part of the video, he then appears to struggle to swallow his own saliva, grimacing and looking in pain.
According to Passport Health, the sudden fear of water in rabies patients is possibly a result of the spasms in the nervous system which occur in the throat or pharynx involuntarily.
They also note that it is because of these spasms, the infected person could develop a fear of water because of the pain it causes when they take a drink, for example.
According to the World Health Organization, rabies is 'virtually 100% fatal' once the symptoms are known.
"The global cost of rabies is estimated to be around US$ 8.6 billion per year including lost lives and livelihoods, medical care and associated costs, as well as uncalculated psychological trauma." their website states.
They further say that prevention measures can be taken by vaccinating dogs and people as well as raising awareness about what to do if you come into contact with an infected animal.
However, last year one woman managed to stun medical professionals after she became the first person to survive rabies without a vaccination - having been a teenager when she contracted the virus.