Rabies, kills 30-70 thousand people every year worldwide (CDC). 40,000 people are treated every year in the United States alone (CDC). Carried by rabid animals, this viral infection also poses a threat to animal lovers. The main problem with rabies is prevention, the effects are serious and the causes are multiple. The virus spreads through animals. Warm-blooded animals are needed to transmit the virus, and the disease is almost always fatal (CDC). It is transmitted through saliva from the host to the victim also through mucous membranes such as the eyes or nose. Yet the most common way of transition is through a bite with the virus containing saliva. The main animals that contain the virus are: the skunk, the fox, the bat, the raccoon and the coyote (CDC). These wild animals account for 93% of cases in the United States. The raccoon is still the primary vector, and the animal is domesticated in the eastern United States. The skunk is native to the interior states, from parts of Texas to Montana and as far south as Wyoming. The fox and coyote are both native to the southern half of the United States, and the fox is also spotted in Alaska along the coast. Although we don't hear about it lately, bats are a major carrier of the virus. They are common in most states except Hawaii (WebMD.com). Bats have also spread throughout the world and more recently to Australia. Australia was once free of rabies until rabid bats were recently found (Proceedings of the Mayo Clinic). The virus can also spread to pets, and most cases are reported in the summer and fall months. The three main domestic animals are: cats, dogs and cattle. Symptoms in humans are flu-like symptoms, ranging from fever to headache. After a few days of exposure, the human being will experience the symptoms of clinical rabies: anxiety, confusion, agitation, hallucinations and even insomnia (CDC). These symptoms can last from two to ten days. Once clinical symptoms appear, the mortality rate is very high. To date, there have been only six cases of survival from the clinical stage of rabies (CDC). The incubation period varies from ten days to a year, but the average is 20 days. Bites closer to the brain will also progress faster, and bites in the lower appendages will take longer to spread (Mayo Clinic Proceedings).