Rabies in dogs

The genus of viruses responsible for rabies belangs to the genus Lyssavirus in the family Rhabdoviridae. Rabies as well as the link between human disease and animals has been known for several thousand years, but the first meaning discriptions of the disease came from Italy in the early 1500s. In modern society rabies remains a feared disease as it was in antiquity, especially as canine rabies (street rabies) became a scourge in the 19th century. Today canine rabies is geographically widespread and continues to represent a significant public health threat, particularly in developing countries where human deaths have been estimated to be at least 50 000 annually. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has classified rabies as a List B disease, which means it has socio-economic and public health importance within affected countries, and is significant in the international trade of animals and animal products.