Woman's uncontrollable sex drive after she was bitten by puppy was caused by rabies



Constantly aroused: Hypersexuality is a little known symptom of rabies

A woman who told her doctor she had a sudden, unbelievable increase in her sex drive died four days later of rabies.

The 28-year-old, who lived in India, complained that she felt constantly aroused, sometimes with no stimulation at all.

Her confounded physician referred her to the Sri Gokulam Hospital and Research Institute in Salem, Tamil Nadu.

They discovered that a small bite from a puppy two months earlier caused the disease.

The fear of water caused by paralysis of the swallowing muscles is widely known as a symptom of rabies.

But it can also cause hypersexuality, a result of inflammation of the brain.

Peter Costa, the communications director for the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, said that by the time the disease reaches that stage it is incurable.

He said: 'If you've been bitten or suspect you've been licked or scratched by an infected animal, you should seek treatment within 24 hours.'

Pet vaccination programmes have been largely successful in staving off the disease in the U.S.

But around the world between 55,000 and 70,000 people die of rabies each year, Mr Costa told LiveScience.

Most of the deaths are in children under age 15 in areas where vaccinations are lacking.

Mr Costa said: 'Dogs are responsible for more than 99 per cent of human rabies cases.'

Danger: Stray dogs are the most common cause of rabies in humans in developing countries

He said education is the key to halting the spread of the disease, msnbc.com reports.

The Indian woman did not seek medical attention after she was bitten by the dog because the bite was small and the animal was just a puppy.

Early treatment, however, could have saved her life.

Mr Costa said: 'If you've been bitten, wash the wound with soap and water for about 10 minutes and then seek appropriate medical treatment.'

If doctors think a bite will put someone at risk of rabies, they'll inject antibodies that fight rabies right around the wound. Then patients get four vaccinations in the arm over two weeks.

Mr Coasta said the case of the Indian woman highlights the need for pet vaccinations.