Viruses Part 2- Rabies

Finally...here is part two :)

The Rabies Virus

Transmission

The Rabies virus is spread from a host (rabid animal) to an uninfected individual (animal or human)  through infected saliva, which is often exchanged when the host bites the uninfected animal due to the negative effects of the virus

Effects and Symptoms

Symptoms of the Rabies virus begin with flu-like symptoms and can develop into mental problems including delirium, hallucinations, extreme anxiety, confusion, and rage. Symptoms also include insomnia, paralysis, and hyper saliva production, and vocal spasms.If the rabies virus has enough time to infect the central nerve system it is fatal and will continue to damage the brain until the virus results in death.

Deaths

Each year, the rabies virus causes approximately 55,000 deaths world-wide

When and where in the world was the epidemic?
The rabies virus came in to existance over 4000  years ago before 2000BC. The epidemic can be found in most of the world excluding Australia and New Zeland. The most deaths occur in developing countries in the continent Asia and Africa.