Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. People are exposed to rabies when they are bitten, scratched, or exposed to the saliva of an infected animal. Animals commonly associated with rabies are bats, raccoons, skunks, opossums, foxes, dogs, and cats.

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort. As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation (increase in saliva), difficulty swallowing and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms.