Rabies is caused by a neurotropic virus of negative RNA chain belonging to the genus Lyssavirus, family Rhabdoviridae, Mononegavirals order. The rabies-causing species in the Americas is the Lyssavirus RABV with 11 antigenic variants. Human rabies deaths have been drastically reduced in the United States over the past decade, yet cases of rabies are reported in dogs and cats infected by wild mammals. In Canada, as in the United States, the most common species of rabies reservoirs are wild mammals, mainly bats, skunks and foxes. Rabies is endemic in most of the Canadian Arctic, caused by the Arctic Rabies Virus variant. In North America, cross-species transmission has been observed. Wildlife control is carried out by oral bait vaccine, authorized in raccoons and coyotes. In Latin America and the Caribbean, canine rabies has declined by 98% and human rabies transmitted by dogs is in the wa...

Rabies is caused by a neurotropic virus of negative RNA chain belonging to the genus Lyssavirus, family Rhabdoviridae, Mononegavirals order. The rabies-causing species in the Americas is the Lyssavirus RABV with 11 antigenic variants. Human rabies deaths have been drastically reduced in the United States over the past decade, yet cases of rabies are reported in dogs and cats infected by wild mammals. In Canada, as in the United States, the most common species of rabies reservoirs are wild mammals, mainly bats, skunks and foxes. Rabies is endemic in most of the Canadian Arctic, caused by the Arctic Rabies Virus variant. In North America, cross-species transmission has been observed. Wildlife control is carried out by oral bait vaccine, authorized in raccoons and coyotes. In Latin America and the Caribbean, canine rabies has declined by 98% and human rabies transmitted by dogs is in the wa...