**2.4 Patients with psychiatric disorders**

Given that the rabies virus significantly impacts the central nervous system, it is not uncommon for hallucinations, manic episodes, anxiety, and bouts of paranoia to be present in an infected patient [19, 20]. However, these are also common symptoms of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. While it is rare, it is possible that correct RABV diagnosis may be complicated by a previous diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. Patients suffering from hypochondriasis could elicit psuedorabies [20]. In several case studies with reports of hypochondriasis, patients did not respond to therapies and often attempt suicide multiple times [20, 21]. While these situations are rare, they should be noted when diagnosing patients with certainty.
