The rabies virus is thought to have originated in bats. The virus survives only in living animals and does not exist in the environment. Rabies is an infectious disease of warm-blooded animals, including man. The virus does not infect birds and cold-blooded creatures such as reptiles and amphibians. Although small mammals, such as rabbit, squirrels and mice can be infected with rabies, these species are considered a low risk for transmitting the disease.

Rabies is more likely to infect mammals such as dogs, mongooses, skunks, coyotes, raccoons or foxes. In all species, the saliva of infected animals contains live rabies virus particles, which can spread to a new host via bites or scratch wounds. Rabies can also be spread by aerosol (by saliva droplets in the air) in caves inhabited by large numbers of infected bats.

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