Rabies Virus Facts

• Rabies is a viral infection of the Lyssavirus genus that affects warm blooded animals.

• It causes acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

• It is usually spread through the bite of an infected animals but can sometimes be spread by contact with saliva since the salivary glands of infected animals contain high concentrations of the virus.

• Once the virus affects the central nervous system and symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal.

• Around the world, somebody dies of rabies every ten minutes.  There are more than 55,000 rabies deaths every year.

• In the United States, cases of rabies in humans are rare.  In 2001, there was one case of human rabies in the U.S. and in 2002 there were three cases.

• Most human cases of rabies in the U.S. today are caused by bites from infected bats.

• September 28 is World Rabies Day, a day on which information about rabies prevention is promoted around the world, with a focus on awareness on vaccinating dogs against the disease.