rabies

Rabies is a disease that affects animals' nervous systems and can be passed to humans through bites.

If you've ever heard of someone getting bitten by a wild animal like a raccoon or a bat, they might have gotten rabies. But if you think about it, the word "rabies" itself isn't commonly used in everyday conversations. People are more likely to talk about rabies when there's been an actual incident – like a dog biting someone and the person needing a shot right away. Sometimes doctors will mention rabies as one of the risks associated with animal bites, but it's usually not something you hear casually.