rabid

Rabid is a term used to describe an animal infected with rabies, a viral disease that affects the nervous system. This disease is zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans. Rabies is almost always fatal once clinical symptoms appear. The virus is primarily transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, often via bites.

Animals that are commonly known to carry rabies include bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. However, domestic animals such as dogs, cats, and ferrets can also contract and transmit the virus. Symptoms of rabies in animals can vary but often include changes in behavior, such as increased aggression or unusual tameness, difficulty swallowing, and a foaming or frothing of the mouth. In later stages, paralysis and death can occur.

In humans, the incubation period for rabies can range from weeks to months, and sometimes even years. Initial symptoms are often non-specific, resembling those of the flu, such as fever, headache, and fatigue. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms develop, including anxiety, confusion, paralysis, hallucinations, and hydrophobia (fear of water), which is a hallmark symptom. Once these neurological symptoms appear, rabies is nearly always fatal.

Prevention is key to combating rabies. This includes vaccination of domestic animals, avoiding contact with wild animals, and seeking immediate medical attention after any potential exposure, such as a bite or scratch from an animal that might be rabid. Post-exposure prophylaxis, which involves a series of vaccinations and sometimes immunoglobulin, is highly effective in preventing the onset of the disease in humans if administered promptly.