Where does the rabies virus come from?

Where Does Rabies Come From? How Do Viruses Spread? What Does a Rabid Animal Look Like? What Animals Carry Rabies? Dealing with Rabies; Some Rabies Stories. What is it? Rabies is a disease spread through a virus. Basically, viruses work like this. read more

Unlike most viruses that travel through the bloodstream, rabies travels through nerve cells. Once in the body, it spreads from nerve cells to the spinal column and from there to the brain and the rest of the body. Any mammal, including humans, can contract any kind of rabies if they come into contact with it. read more

In upper NY they have a large population of raccoons that pass the virus around between them, and occasionally to other species such as a dog, cat, or human. About 12 years ago they moved into Canada near Brockville, Ontario. At the same time, fox strains of rabies are circulating all the time, and in skunks as well. read more

Rabies virus belongs to the order Mononegavirales, viruses with a nonsegmented, negative-stranded RNA genomes. Within this group, viruses with a distinct “bullet” shape are classified in the Rhabdoviridae family, which includes at least three genera of animal viruses, Lyssavirus, Ephemerovirus, and Vesiculovirus. read more