Rabies is a zoonotic illness – meaning that it is spread from animals to humans. If scratched or bitten by an animal that is carrying rabies, emergency medical attention is always needed to prevent any effects from the bite. The most common animals that carry the rabies virus are bats, coyotes, raccoons, skunks and foxes. Other animals can also be affected by the virus as well.
Without prompt treatment, rabies is a fatal disease. Once bitten, if treatment isn’t sought for a potential rabies infection, once symptoms begin to set in, it is too late to do anything else other than making the person affected comfortable. The infection sets itself in your central nervous system, eventually making its way to the brain and causing death. Symptoms of rabies include:
