All dogs are mammals and can be infected with rabies.
Many countries have laws to ensure people vaccinate their dogs against rabies. If you have a dog, it’s important to keep vaccines up to date incase it comes into contact with another type of animal with rabies.
The USA is an example of a country where canine-rabies has been stamped out, but because raccoons, skunks, bats, coyotes and other wild animals may carry rabies, it’s important to protect dogs with vaccine shots.
Unvaccinated dogs are the main carrier of rabies throughout Asia and Africa. Half of the world’s human population live in these 80 countries where canine-rabies is common. In more than 99% of all human rabies cases, the virus has come from contact with a dog.
If you are bitten by a dog, or your dog is injured by another animal, please click here for further information about what to do.
Film: Go to Symptoms of Rabies and watch film footage of the Mupanigawa wild dogs in Southern Africa when the rabies virus infects some of the pack.
Rabies Report
Africa:
2005: 58 (Madagascar)
No further data available
Asia:
2004: 1546 (Philippines)
No further data available
Europe:
2006: 827 (12%)
2005: 1,378 (14.1%)
2004: 739 (13.7%)
USA:
2005: 76 (1.18%)
2004: 94 (1.37%)
% total rabies cases
Rest of Americas:
2006: 377
Visit our website to learn more about rabies and animals.
