Rabies is a viral disease that is transmitted from animals to humans. When symptoms appear, and without immediate treatment, rabies is fatal in 100% of cases. It can be avoided thanks to vaccination. In Belgium, the main threat still comes from the illegal importation of dogs from infected countries.
Rabies is a viral disease transmitted by a virus from the Rhabdoviridae family.
The virus is transmitted from animals to humans (zoonosis). Infected animals transmit the virus through a bite, a scratch, a lick or contact with a wound.
In humans as in animals, the rabies virus causes encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) which is always fatal. Death will occur 1 to 3 weeks after the first symptoms appear.
The eradication of fox rabies (vulpine rabies) in Belgium was declared in 2001. No case of indigenous animal rabies had been diagnosed since 1999.
