Rabies

Topic Overview

What is rabies?

Rabies is an infection caused by a virus. It affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) of any kind of mammal, including humans. It is nearly always deadly if not treated before symptoms begin.

Animals that are infected with rabies—rabid animals—can spread the disease through their saliva or brain tissue. People usually get rabies when a rabid animal bites them. It is rare for people in the United States to get rabies. It is more common in developing nations.

How do you get rabies?

Rabies is caused by a virus that usually is spread through an infected animal's saliva. Bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes are the animals most likely to have rabies in the U.S. Small mammals such as mice and squirrels almost never have rabies.

People in the U.S. and Canada are most likely to get rabies from bats.¹ People in many other countries are most likely to get rabies from dog bites.^{2, 3}

Report all animal bites to your local health department. Experts there can help you decide whether you need treatment.

Sometimes the rabies virus can spread to pets, such as dogs, cats, and ferrets. But household pets rarely get rabies, because most of them get rabies vaccines. Pets that stay indoors are very unlikely to get rabies.

It’s possible to get rabies even when you don't see an animal bite. For example, bat bites or scratches may be so small that you don't notice them. If you or your children come in direct contact with a bat, or if you find a bat in a closed room with a sleeping person, call your doctor right away. People also can get rabies by handling animals with rabies or inhaling the virus, but these cases are rare.

What are the symptoms?

Signs of rabies in animals may include drooling, foaming at the mouth, or paralysis. A pet with rabies also may behave differently than usual, such as acting shy when the pet usually is friendly. A wild animal with rabies may have no fear of humans.

Rabies in humans begins with symptoms such as fever, cough, or sore throat. Later, symptoms become more serious and can include restlessness, hallucinations, and seizures. The final stage is coma and death.

As soon as symptoms appear, it’s too late for a cure. Rabies is nearly always deadly. The time from exposure to the rabies virus until symptoms appear usually is 2 to 3 months. In rare cases, it may be shorter or much longer.

If you believe you were exposed to the rabies virus, it is very important to get medical care before symptoms begin.

What should you do if you think you have been exposed to rabies?

First, wash the animal bite, scratch, or open sore with soap and water. Then call your doctor and local health department right away. They can help you find out if you have been infected with the rabies virus.

If you have been bitten by or exposed to an animal that is at low risk for having rabies, such as a pet, the animal will be captured by people trained to handle rabid animals. It will be watched for signs of rabies. Because rabies is deadly, your doctor may not wait to find out if the animal has rabies. If the doctor thinks there’s a chance that the animal is rabid, you will start to get a series of shots right away. These shots help your body’s immune system destroy the disease in its early stages.

If you have been bitten by or exposed to an animal that is at high risk for having rabies, you will start getting the shots right away. If possible, the animal will be watched for signs of rabies or will be killed for testing. If it is found to have rabies, you will continue the series of shots. But if the animal doesn't have rabies, you can stop getting the shots.

If an animal shows signs of rabies but can't be captured for testing, it often is assumed to be rabid.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learning about rabies:	What is rabies? What causes rabies? Can rabies be prevented? What are the symptoms of rabies in humans? What are the signs of rabies in animals? How does rabies progress? What increases my risk of getting rabies? Can I get rabies even if an animal didn't bite me?
Being diagnosed:	How is rabies diagnosed?
Getting treatment:	How is rabies treated? Can a vaccine prevent the progression of rabies?
Ongoing concerns:	In what areas of the world does rabies occur? What types of animals most often have rabies? Does my pet need to be vaccinated, and if so, how often?

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Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS	Last Updated: September 9, 2008
Medical Review:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease
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