The most common wild reservoirs of rabies are raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, and coyotes. Domestic mammals can also get rabies. Cats, cattle, and dogs are the most frequently reported rabid domestic animals in the United States.
Both wild and domestic animals can carry rabies, and they may be able to transmit the disease even before it’s obvious that they’re ill. Animals infected with rabies often act oddly. A bat may wander out in the daytime or a fox may seem unafraid of humans.
Wild Mammals
More than 90 percent of reported rabies in wild animals. Raccoons are the most common carriers of the disease . Other animals often found to have rabies include foxes, bats, skunks and coyotes. Wolves, weasels, badgers, mountain lions and other mammals can also have rabies. Fish, birds and reptiles aren’t mammals, so they can’t carry the disease.
Domestic Animals
Domestic mammals are at risk for carrying rabies. Among domesticated animals, the disease is most commonly found in dogs and cats, but may also occur in horses, cows, pigs, sheep and goats. Rabies is not common in domestic animals since they are typically vaccinated against the disease, but it does occur.
Pets
Cats have rabies about three times as often as any other domestic animal, especially in areas where rabid raccoons are more common, the CDC notes. Pets are usually at less risk of the disease because they’re typically protected by vaccination. Since humans can also get rabies, vaccinating protects both the animals and the people they might otherwise transmit rabies to.
Small Mammals
Although they too are mammals, mice, rats, rabbits, groundhogs and squirrels rarely get rabies.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of the recent cases of rabies infection in humans have been transmitted by bats. Rabies infections can also occur in domestic animals, including cats, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, dogs, ferrets and rabbits. Domestic animals acquire rabies when other animals with rabies bite them. More detials are in the following links
More than 90 percent of reported rabies cases in the United States are discovered in wild animals. Raccoons are the most common carriers of the disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes. Other animals often found to have rabies include foxes, bats, skunks and coyotes. Wolves, weasels, badgers, mountain lions and other mammals can also have rabies. Fish, birds and reptiles aren’t mammals, so they can’t carry the disease.
Domestic Animals
Domestic mammals are at risk for carrying rabies. Among domesticated animals, the disease is most commonly found in dogs and cats, but may also occur in horses, cows, pigs, sheep and goats. Rabies is not common in domestic animals since they are typically vaccinated against the disease, but it does occur.
Pets
Cats have rabies about three times as often as any other domestic animal, especially in areas where rabid raccoons are more common, the CDC notes. Pets are usually at less risk of the disease because they’re typically protected by vaccination. Since humans can also get rabies, vaccinating protects both the animals and the people they might otherwise transmit rabies to.
Small Mammals
Although they too are mammals, mice, rats, rabbits, groundhogs and squirrels rarely get rabies. When they do, the CDC reports that as with rabid cats, it’s usually an animal from a state where raccoon rabies is prevalent. This includes the East Coast of the U.S., from Florida to Maine.
Rabies is a viral disease usually transmitted through a bite of an infected animal. Rabies attacks the central nervous system, leading to encephalopathy and death. If rabies is not treated immediately, death usually occurs within a few days. Once signs of a rabies infection appear, the infection is almost always fatal. However, immediate treatment can often save lives. Rabies infections occur in many mammals, including bats, domestic animals and wild animals. Birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish do not get rabies.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of the recent cases of rabies infection in humans have been transmitted by bats. Most bats do not have rabies, and bats serve an important role in a wide variety of ecosystems. However, bats that are acting strangely, such as flying during the day or living in an unusual location, like inside a room of your house, have a higher risk of having rabies. Since bat bites can be undetectable, seek medical advice if you think you may have come in contact with a rabid bat.
Rabies infections can also occur in domestic animals, including cats, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, dogs, ferrets and rabbits. Domestic animals acquire rabies when other animals with rabies bite them. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rabid domestic animals represent fewer that 10 percent of reported rabies cases. Vaccinating your pets against rabies can help prevent infections. If your pet or any animal seems unusually fearful or aggressive, drools excessively, staggers, has seizures, self-mutilates or is suddenly sensitive to light, consult a veterinarian and local animal control authorities immediately.
Skunks, beavers, raccoons, monkeys, coyotes and foxes also sometimes carry rabies. If you see a wild animal acting strangely, do not go near it, even if it seems tame. Report the animal to animal control authorities immediately. If you are close enough to capture or kill the animal, do not damage its head. Authorities will need to test its brain for rabies. Teach children not to approach wild animals, and avoid leaving pet food or exposed garbage outside. These can attract wild animals to your house.
All depends where you live. In Switzerland for example the main source of rabies was the red fox and contaminated dogs and very rarely by the bats. Now in our country rabies has been eradicated by vaccination of the foxes and by limiting their hunting. This animal is territorial and if you eliminate them, their territory will be occupied by other foxes coming from other countries who still have rabid foxes.