CASE REPORT:
A 52‐year‐old man in OPD presented as hydrophobia allowing us to suspect human rabies. Past history of dog bite 6 weeks prior with local wound care immediately after exposure and inadequate1, only one dose of rabies postexposure vaccine by ID route after bite. He presented with fever, headache, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, excessive salivation with difficulty in swallowing, insomnia and pain in bitten area.
On examination, feeling confused and restless, more aggressive, muscle cramps, hyperactive and hyperventilation. During the physical examination, the patient was conscious and polypnea at 32 bpm and tachycardia at 110 pulses/min. The body temperature was 40°C, and the blood pressure was 108/80 mm Hg. He also complained of intense thirst, but any attempt of water intake caused hydrophobic spasm, described as a blockage in the throat with worsening of dyspnoea, and he systematically repelled the glass of water. On blowing of both (later, any ear) ears we found that the muscle spasms and the aggressiveness along with hyperactiveness increased tremendously. As this sign was once told by our Prof. K D GUPTA sir so we have coined it as the “KD EAR BLOW SIGN IN RABIES”. That patient expired after 2 days and his rabies diagnosis was confirmed by direct fluorescent antibody test (DFAT) using post-mortem brain samples.