An international co-production of Canada and the United States, the film stars Marilyn Chambers in the lead role, supported by Frank Moore, Joe Silver, and Howard Ryshpan.

Chambers plays a woman who, after being injured in a motorcycle accident and undergoing a surgical operation, develops an orifice under one of her armpits that hides a phallic/clitoral stinger she uses to feed on people's blood.

Rose Miller and her boyfriend, Hart Reed, are involved in a motorcycle accident in the Quebec countryside after encountering a van in the middle of the road.

Meanwhile, Lloyd leaves the clinic but, during a taxi ride, begins foaming at the mouth and attacks the driver, resulting in a fatal crash.

Hart, along with Dr. Keloid's business partner Murray Cypher, teams up with police chief Claude LePointe and public health officials to discuss the escalating epidemic.

While Mindy watches a news broadcast about a rabies-like epidemic spreading in the city, Rose goes to an adult movie theater and infects a patron.

With the outbreak worsening and rabies treatments failing, Dr. Royce Gentry advises a shoot-to-kill policy to prevent further infections.

[8][9] Initially titled Mosquitoes Cronenberg had difficulty writing the script due to the broader nature of the film's city setting compared to Shivers which took place in one apartment complex.

[10] According to Cronenberg, at the time, the only CFDC films that had turned a profit were the two that he had made for the corporation, Shivers and Crimes of the Future.

[11] Cronenberg's editing decisions to tighten and reduce the film's runtime produced criticism such as his removal of a scene, which he regretted cutting, explaining the development of the armpit orifice.

[14] Spacek would star in the hit film Carrie; Cronenberg included a poster for that movie in the background of a scene in Rabid.

[18] Les Wedman of the Vancouver Sun described the movie's story as "dreadful" and criticized the film for "relying heavily on shocking special effects" as opposed to suspense.

The dialogue is witless, the exposition awkward, and the film spends far too much time travelling in cars between one gory scene and another.".

[20] Clyde Gilmour of The Toronto Star noted of the film's box office success, but stated that he was "not sure what this proves, except possibly that Canadians, when they really try, can make nauseating movies as efficiently as Americans.

"[21] Conversely, Time Out called the film "far better staged" than Shivers, and concluded, "None of the other recent apocalypse movies has shown so much political or cinematic sophistication.

A remake of the film, directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska and starring Laura Vandervoort as Rose, was released on December 13, 2019.