Rabies causes about 59,000 deaths worldwide per year, about 40% of which are in children under the age of 15. More than 95% of human deaths from rabies occur in Africa and Asia.Rabies is present in more than 150 countries and on all continents but Antarctica. More than 3 billion people live in regions of the world where rabies occurs. A number of countries, including Australia and Japan, as well as much of Western Europe, do not have rabies among dogs. Many Pacific islands do not have rabies at all. It is classified as a neglected tropical disease. Etymology
The name rabies is derived from the Latin rabies, "madness". This, in turn, may be related to the Sanskrit rabhas, "to rage". The Greeks derived the word lyssa, from lud or "violent"; this root is used in the genus name of the rabies virus, Lyssavirus. Signs and symptoms
The period between infection and the first symptoms (incubation period) is typically 1–3 months in humans. This period may be as short as four days or longer than six years, depending on the location and severity of the wound and the amount of virus introduced. Initial symptoms of rabies are often nonspecific such as fever and headache. As rabies progresses and causes inflammation of the brain and meninges, symptoms can include slight or partial paralysis, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, agitation, abnormal behavior, paranoia, terror, and hallucinations. The person may also have fear of water.The symptoms eventually progress to delirium, and coma. Death usually occurs 2 to 10 days after first symptoms.
Knuckle pads (also known as "Heloderma", meaning similar to the skin of the Gila monster lizard for which it is named) are circumscribed, keratotic, fibrous growths over the dorsa of the interphalangeal joints. They are described as well-defined, round, plaque-like, fibrous thickening that may develop at any age, and grow to be 10 to 15mm in diameter in the course of a few weeks or months, then go away over time.Knuckle pads are sometimes associated with Dupuytrens contracture and camptodactyly,: 595  and histologically, the lesions are fibromas. : 595  Knuckle pads are generally non-responsive to treatment, including corticosteroids, and tend to recur after surgery; however, there has been some effectiveness with intralesional fluorouracil. See also
Skin lesion
List of cutaneous conditions
Garrods pad

References
Further reading
Guberman D;  et al. (1996). ""Knuckle pads-a forgotten skin condition " report of a case and review of the literature". Cutis. 57 (4): 241–242. PMID 8727774. Ly Y;  et al. (2003). "A novel mutation of keratin 9 in epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma combined with knuckle pads". Am J Med Genet. 120A (3): 345–9. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.20090. PMID 12838553. Peterson CM;  et al. (2000). "Knuckle pads: does knuckle cracking play an etiologic role?". Pediatr Dermatol. 17 (6): 450–2. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1470.2000.01819.x. PMID 11123776. == External links ==