Don’t get too close; it might have rabies. Careful because you could get rabies. These are statements often said when a nocturnal animal such as a fox, skunk, or raccoon is seen out in broad daylight. Mammals are the only animals that can carry and transmit the rabies virus to one another. There are a few things that you might need to know about rabies.



Rabies is a virus that is almost always transmitted through a Broward County animal bite. The virus is typically found in the saliva and can be transmitted through the bite. There are specific symptoms of rabies that you need to watch out for as well, especially if your pet has been exposed to an animal that may carry the disease. There is two to four very distinct symptoms you need to be watching for. The first one is sensitivity or fear of light. Broward County animals in the wild—mostly nocturnal—will become disoriented and often wander out of their burrows and dens during the day. They are seen wandering around aimlessly seeming lost or confused.

Another symptom is the fear of water. Florida animals will go out of their way to avoid water at all cost. The third discernable symptom of rabies is excess drool or foaming at the mouth. The salivary glands are working overtime because of the virus. As a result, more saliva is produced. The fourth symptom of rabies is a sign of aggression. Animals may charge and/or attack other Florida animals, humans, and even turn on themselves if they are infected. They have been known to gnaw off their own legs and tails because of confusion.

The rabies virus attacks the body on two fronts. The first way is it gets into the nervous system and makes its way into the brain. It then messes with the synapses and causes confusion and disorientation. Another way is to infect the muscle tissue. In the musculature of an animal, the virus is hidden and protected from the host’s immune system. Once it is in the muscles, it will then travel to the neuromuscular regions of the body.

Technically there are two different kinds of rabies; furious and dumb. The cases of furious—encephalitic—rabies is what is commonly found in humans when they are infected. It causes extreme cases of hyperactivity as well as hydrophobia—fear of water.

The second type of rabies is dumb—paralytic— disease. Like its name, this kind of the virus will often paralyze the infected. It can also cause disorientation, lethargy, and confusion. These are often the reasons that rabid animals are seen during the day instead of the night time. They are disoriented and confused. If you see or suspect a rabid animal, call animal control immediately and keep your distance.

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