What does rabies do to humans?

Following a bite, the rabies virus spreads by way of the nerve cells to the brain. Once in the brain, the virus multiplies rapidly. This activity causes severe inflammation of the brain and spinal cord after which the person deteriorates rapidly and dies.

What causes rabies?

Rabies is a viral infection of the brain that is transmitted by animals and that causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Once the virus reaches the spinal cord and brain, rabies is almost always fatal.

Is rabies a bacteria or virus?

Rabies is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system of mammals, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death.

What is rabies and what does it mean to me?

Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system. It’s found only in mammals. Human cases of the virus are extremely rare in the United States, but if it’s not treated before symptoms appear, it’s deadly. Rabies has the highest mortality rate — 99.9\% — of any disease on earth.

How dangerous is rabies if it is not treated?

How dangerous is rabies if it is not treated? Rabies is almost always fatal if it is left untreated. In fact, once someone with rabies starts experiencing symptoms, they usually do not survive. This is why it is very important to seek medical attention right away following an animal bite, especially if the bite is from a wild animal.

What can give you rabies?

Yes, a bat can give you rabies. Bats are mammals – warm-blooded animals with fur – so they can get rabies. The only way they can give YOU rabies is if you are bitten by one. Most bats don´t have rabies, but you can´t tell just by looking.

What diseases are caused by rabies?

Rabies is an infectious disease caused by the rabies virus. Animals infected with rabies display strange behavior such as aggression, and signs of neurologic impairment including vocalization, circling, and paralysis.