Rabies has been in the news recently with the rabid coyote that threatened a family in Huntersville. Thankfully rabid coyotes are relatively rare, but any mammal can potentially become infected. The most common source of rabies in North Carolina is racoons, bats, and foxes.

Rabies is caused by a virus which attacks the brain. Infected animals and people lose the ability to swallow, which is why profuse drooling is a common symptom of the disease. Many people think of rabid animals being extremely aggressive (as seen in the film “Old Yeller,” or the video of the coyote in Huntersville, which attacked a car). However, rabid animals can sometimes become more depressed and lethargic. This form is most commonly seen in larger animals like cattle.

Unfortunately, there is no way to definitively diagnose rabies in a living animal. The testing must be done on the brain. This is why it is so important to keep all animals over 12 weeks of age upto date on rabies vaccinations. Even animals such as indoor cats who have little exposure to most wildlife should be vaccinated because bats can commonly come into the house. Bats have extremely tiny teeth so a bite may not even be noticed. A 6 year old boy from Florida died of rabies in January of this year after being bitten by a sick bat his father found in their house; the child told his father he thought the bat had only scratched him.