Man and all mammals are susceptible to rabies, which is almost invariably fatal.
The disease is transmitted by an infected animal's biting or licking. The virus enters the victim's body through a break in the skin, or rarely, through mucous membranes (eyes, nose, throat).
Rabies affects the central nervous system. It may take from ten days to over a year to develop; however, exposed people can be successfully treated before the development of symptoms by a series of vaccinations.
Many people have contact with wild animals and, especially if the animals are young, are tempted to take them home as pets. Baby animals are often cute, cuddly and responsive to attention. The temptation to remove them from their natural environment can be very strong, but before you try to make a pet out of a wild animal, please consider the following:
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