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What kind of animals get rabies?
Rabies is a disease that naturally affects only mammals (like
raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats). You cannot get rabies from birds, snakes or fish. In
the United States, rabies is much more common in wild animals than in pets like cats or
dogs. This is because most people who take good care of their pets make sure that
their pets get the rabies vaccinations. In the
United States today, about 93 of every 100 reported cases of rabies are in wild animals.
Most of the cases are found in raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. Raccoons are the most
common wild animal with rabies today. Cats had the largest number of reported rabies cases
in pets. |
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This map shows the major strains
of the rabies virus in different areas of the country. The
types found in bats, not shown here, are in every part of
the country except Hawaii
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Rabies cases in the United
States (2001):
| All animal cases |
7,437
|
Domestic animals |
497
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Wild animals |
6,939
|
Human cases |
1
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Domestic animals diagnosed with rabies-United
States, 2001
Dogs |
89
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Cats |
270
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Cattle |
82
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Horses/ mules |
51
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Sheep/goats
|
3
|
Swine |
2
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Other Domestic
|
0
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Wild animals diagnosed with rabies in
the United States, 2001
Skunks |
2,282
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Foxes |
437
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Bats |
1,281
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Raccoons |
2,767
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Rodents/ rabbits |
56
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Other wild animals
|
116
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Which animals can get rabies?
Click on an animal to see and learn
more about them:
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CDC's Rabies Web Page
That's Just for Kids!
Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch (VRZB)
Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases (DVRD)
National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Mailing address:
Rabies Section MS G-33
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30333
(404)639-1050
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies
This
page last reviewed February 6, 2003
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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