Werewolves

A man steps off the porch of his house. He feels a tingling sensation all over his body. It's a cold night, but he suddenly starts to feel hotter and hotter. His nails start to grow rapidly into sharp, morbid talons. The vest coat that he wore to protect himself from the frosty weather expands and begin to rip. The man looks up into the sky and sees the cosmic creation that started his transformation. His eyes shine a sickly yellow colour while reflecting the pure silver of the moonlight. Numerous wolves in the distance could be heard howling as if mourning of of their own. 

Werewolves.

Now, what do werewolves, a mythical creature from horror fiction have to do with the deadliest virus known to man? I'm reading Rabid: A Cultural History Of The World’s Most Diabolical Virus, a book about Rabies and the impact it has on history and culture.

"Rabies is a scourge as old as human civilization, and the terror of its manifestation is a fundamental human fear, because it challenges the boundary of humanity itself"

A quote by the authors Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy.

Seeing the effects of rabies does prove this statement; "...it challenges the boundary of humanity itself." What does rabies do to you? It paralyzes you. It makes you afraid of water. You develop aggressive behaviours. It kills you. Werewolves: Rabid? Check. Aggressive? Check. Afraid of water? I don't think so. It's an interesting connection to make. Is it possible werewolves were influenced by old century rabies victims? 

An article from Mental Floss that talks about the resemblance:
Scientific Reasons to Believe in Vampires, Werewolves & Zombies