Rabies is a viral disease which occurs in more than 150 countries and territories. Dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans.

Globally rabies causes an estimated cost of US$ 8.6 billion per year.

Prevention is possible by vaccination, including post-exposure immunisation to be given as soon after the exposure as possible.​

After an incubation period of 3–8 weeks, non-specific symptoms appear, such as headache, fever and numbness of the skin around the site of the bite. A phase of seizures and eventually coma follows, which almost invariably leads to the patient’s death.