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N.C. Department of Health and Human Services I North Carolina Public Health <br />Rabies is a deadly disease. <br />It is caused by a virus that attacks the nervous <br />system of mammals (warm - blooded animals <br />with fur that nurse their young). Pets, livestock, <br />wildlife and people are all at risk. <br />Rabies continues to be a serious problem <br />throughout many parts of the United States and is <br />enzootic (present in the wildlife) in North Carolina. <br />Several species of wildlife are reservoirs. That <br />means they carry the disease and spread it to <br />animals and humans. The wildlife most commonly <br />infected with rabies virus in North Carolina are: <br />■ Raccoons, Coyotes, <br />■ Bats, ■ Beavers, and <br />■ Skunks, ■ Groundhogs <br />■ Bobcats, (woodchucks) <br />■ Red and gray <br />foxes, <br />V-1 <br />Stray dogs or puppies, <br />cats or kittens, and ferrets <br />may be infected with <br />the rabies virus through <br />contact with wild animals. <br />