Rabies in animals

This article is about rabies in non-human animals. For rabies in humans, see Rabies. For other uses, see Rabies (disambiguation).

In animals, rabies is a viral zoonotic neuro-invasive disease which causes inflammation in the brain and is usually fatal. Rabies, caused by the rabies virus, primarily infects mammals. In the laboratory it has been found that birds can be infected, as well as their cell cultures. The brains of animals with rabies deteriorate. As a result, they tend to behave bizarrely and often aggressively, increasing the chances that they will bite another animal or a person and transmit the disease.

In addition to irrational aggression, the virus can induce hydrophobia ("fear of water")—wherein attempts to drink water or swallow cause painful spasms of the muscles in the throat or larynx—and an increase in saliva production. This aids the likelihood of transmission, as the virus multiplies and accumulates in the salivary glands and is transmitted primarily through biting. The accumulation of saliva can sometimes create a "foaming at the mouth" effect, which is commonly associated with rabies in animals in the public perception and in popular culture; however, rabies does not always present as such, and may be carried without typical symptoms being displayed.

Rabies kills an average of 70,000 people a year worldwide. Dogs are the primary cause of the virus infecting humans in most parts of the world, but in some countries, such as the United States and Canada, bats are the principal vector.

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