Which animals can carry rabies?

Dogs are an important source of human exposure in many places. Bats and wild carnivores can also carry rabies, while the relevance of cats, livestock and other mammals depends on local circulation and the circumstances of contact.

Transmission is mainly through infected saliva entering a bite or scratch, broken skin, the eyes or the mouth. Touching intact skin or being near an animal is different, but uncertain bat contact may require specialist assessment because a small bite can be difficult to notice.

Concerning animal behaviour can include unexplained aggression, loss of fear, unusual tameness, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, weakness, paralysis or activity at an unusual time. Behaviour alone cannot confirm or exclude rabies, and an infected animal may not look obviously ill.

Wash a bite, scratch or saliva-contaminated area thoroughly with soap and running water, then seek urgent advice from a healthcare service. Give the exact country and location, animal species, whether it was owned or wild, its behaviour, and whether it can be safely located.

Do not attempt to catch, kill or transport the animal. Contact local veterinary or public-health authorities so trained personnel can decide whether observation or testing is appropriate. A photo taken from a safe distance may help identify the species, but personal safety comes first.

Treat a bite or scratch from a potentially rabid mammal, saliva on broken skin, or saliva reaching the eyes or mouth as time-sensitive. Seek care even if the wound is small, the animal is young, or you were previously vaccinated.

Do not wait for human symptoms. Once rabies symptoms begin, the infection is extremely difficult to treat; prompt post-exposure prophylaxis is intended to prevent the virus reaching the nervous system.

Confirm whether the encounter meets the definition of exposure, whether local authorities should evaluate the animal, which post-exposure medicines apply, how previous rabies vaccination changes the plan, and whether the wound also needs tetanus or infection care.