Rabies, also known as hydrophobia is an acute highly fatal viral disease of the central nervous system, caused by Lyssavirus type1. It is primarily a disease of warm blooded animals particularly carnivorous such as dogs, cats, jackals and wolves. It is transmitted to man usually by bites or licks or rabid animals.

Incidence
World
Canine rabies continue to exist in 87 countries or territories of the world and this accounts for 99% of all human rabies cases.

India
Rabies is Zoonotic problem of considerable magnitude in India, with an estimated human mortality of 25,000 (actual figure may be 50,000) a year while 3 million people receive post exposure prophylaxis each year. Incidence of rabies in animals is of far greater magnitude than among human, the true extent of which is unknown.