Rabies is a disease.
Rabies is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain in humans and other mammals . The time period between contracting the disease and the start of symptoms is usually one to three months ; however , this time period can vary from less than one week to more than one year . More than 99 % of rabies cases in countries where dogs commonly have the disease are caused by dog bites . It is classified as a neglected tropical disease . Rabies is a viral zoonotic neuroinvasive disease which causes inflammation in the brain and is usually fatal .