What causes rabies?What are it's symptoms and signs?It's effects?How is it diagnosed?What are preventive measures?What animals carry it?

Rabies is a viral disease of Mammals. It most often occurs
in wild animals such as  foxes, raccoons, bats, skunks. The virus attacks the central
nervous system. This results in the death of the animal because the virus attacks the
brain.  Symptoms are first similar to the flu and  include fever, weakness, headache and
then progresses to confusion, fear of water, excitability, excessive salivation and
insomnia. The acute period lasts 2--10days and when the clinical symptoms occur,
survival is rare. Treatment is human immune globulin, which contains antibodies as well
as rounds of rabies vaccine. Transmission of rabies is generally through a bite when an
uninfected animal is exposed to the saliva of an infected animal.  Preventative measures
for rabies is to make sure your pet's vaccines are up to date. Any encounter with a wild
animal is considered a rabies exposure to your pet. Although any mammal can be
susceptible to rabies, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, bats and skunks are important
reservoirs of this disease.