How does rabies infect the body of a mammal?

Answer 1

Rabies is a virus that attacks the brain of a mammal infected and eventually kills. Rabies has been around for thousands of years to my knowledge, the origin is unknown. Transmition begins with an infected host (also known as a vector), the host transmits the virus to a potential victim by direct contact with the syliva of the host, example; a bite. The victim becomes the new host and passes the virus on to the next. The virus can take weeks (sometimes, but rarely, months) to present symptoms even though the virus is present in the host. Once the virus progresses, the symptoms present as neurological. Examples: wobbley gate, circling, hydrophobia (fear of water) aggression, foaming at the mouth are the most common. These can also be symptoms of other diseases, so not all mammals showing signs have rabies, but the risk of coming into contact is not worth possible rabies exposure! Some common mythes about rabies is that if you see a nocturnal animal during the day, it must have rabies. Untrue, the animal may have been disturbed by something in it's area, such as construction or another animal. Some animals change their nocturnal behavior when they are raising their young, mom needs more nutrition to produce milk. Some people believe a dog is rabid if it is aggressive and foaming at the mouth, also untrue, some dogs when in an aggressive state naturally produce more syliva. The best rule of thumb to follow is "when in doubt, get out.". Do not turn and run if you can avoid it, it triggers an attack response, back-off slowly, and steadily. Do not touch a dead animal, you don't know what it died of. If you believe you've come in contact with a rabid animal, seek immmediate medical attention and have it reported to Animal Control or the EPA. If the animal is caught it can be tested for the virus, which may or may not play a roll in the medical protocol required by your state. If you need more info you can log on to the CDC (Center for Disease Conrol).

Answer 2

Rabies virus affect nervous system. It is transmitted through the saliva of an animal before they die. It can affect the muscular system as well and cause paralysis.