According to the Virginia Department of Health, in 1999, there were 581 reported cases of rabies in Virginia. There were four cases of infected dogs and seven of infected cattle. Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. The rabies virus lives in the saliva and brain tissue of rabid animals. It can be transmitted through a bite or by getting saliva or brain tissue in a wound or in the eye or mouth.
Rabies kills almost any mammal or human that gets sick from it.
Rabbits, squirrels, rats, and mice, and pets such as gerbils and hamsters seldom get it. If your pet is attacked or bitten by another animal, report it to the local health or animal control authorities and contact the pet's the veterinarian. Current vaccines are proven to protect dogs, cats, ferrets, and livestock. There are no proven vaccines for most wild and exotic animals. They are a potential rabies threat to their owners and to others.