It is perhaps one of the most feared diseases in the world. Once they appear, the classic symptoms – stumbling, drooling, fear of water, paralysis – almost always portend death. Only five people have ever survived the onset of rabies, and all but one suffered permanent neurological damage. Although vaccination and post-exposure preventive treatments have dramatically reduced the impact of the disease in Europe and North America, there is still no cure. Rabies remains a serious threat in many developing nations, killing up to 70 000 people every year.