Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system. It is transmitted from infected mammals to man and is invariably fatal once symptoms appear. Fortunately, human rabies is rare in the United States. All mammals, including man are susceptible to rabies. Rabies is almost always contracted by exposure to a rabid animal.
All mammals are susceptible to becoming infected with the rabies virus.
In North Dakota, skunks are the primary carrier of rabies and are the species that generally infects other animals. These symptoms are generally referred to as furious rabies. At the other end of the spectrum are rabid animals that do not exhibit typical rabies symptoms. These are generally referred to as dumb rabies. These animals may display other general illnesses symptoms.