Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system of mammals. Mammals are warm-blooded animals that have hair or fur and produce milk to feed their young.

This includes wild animals, such as raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes as well as pets like dogs, cats, horses and ferrets. People are mammals too.

Animals that are not mammals, like birds, frogs, snakes and fish, do not get rabies.

Rabies is deadly for wild animals and family pets. The disease can also kill people if they are exposed to rabies and are not treated promptly.

