American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Practice Exam 2025 - Free ABPN Practice Questions and Study Guide

The condition indicated by hydrophobia and pharyngeal spasms leading to swallowing difficulty is rabies. Rabies is a viral infection that primarily affects the central nervous system. One of its hallmark symptoms, particularly in the later stages, includes hydrophobia, which refers to an intense fear of drinking water due to the painful throat spasms that occur when attempting to swallow. As the disease progresses, the patient may develop severe pharyngeal spasms, causing significant difficulty with swallowing.

These symptoms arise due to the neurotropic nature of the rabies virus, which leads to encephalitis and affects the areas of the brain responsible for swallowing and the autonomic nervous system that regulates involuntary responses such as salivation. The combination of hydrophobia and pharyngeal spasms is significant in distinguishing rabies from other conditions.

While tetanus involves muscle spasms and can lead to difficulty swallowing, it does not typically manifest as hydrophobia. Acute botulism primarily causes descending paralysis and is characterized by a different set of symptoms, such as flaccid paralysis and bulbar symptoms. West Nile virus infection can cause neurological symptoms but does not typically lead to hydrophobia or pharyngeal spasms. Thus