Rabies, caused by a rhabdovirus, presents about 30 days after contact with a rabid animal. A nonspecific prodrome of fever, headache, sore throat, and abdominal pain progresses to an agitated, hallucinatory delirium followed by coma and death. Seizures occur in about 10% of cases.13 Without postexposure immunoprophylaxis, survival is rare.

Adapted from: Goldstein MA and Harden CL. Infectious states. In: Ettinger AB and Devinsky O, eds. Managing epilepsy and co-existing disorders. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2002;83-133.
With permission from Elsevier (www.elsevier.com).
Reviewed and revised March 2004 by Steven C. Schachter, MD, epilepsy.com Editorial Board.