How does rabies spread?

Dogs, cats, bats, foxes, and other mammals can carry the virus. A bite is the clearest route, but a scratch contaminated with saliva can also matter. Touching an animal, contact with fur, or a lick on unbroken skin does not usually provide the route the virus needs to enter the body. You may not be able to tell whether an animal is infected by its appearance or behaviour.

Wash a bite or scratch immediately with plenty of soap and running water, taking care not to scrub deeply into damaged tissue. Use an antiseptic if available, then seek urgent medical assessment. Do not wait for symptoms, and do not try to catch or handle the animal. A clinician will assess the animal, the contact site, and your vaccination history before deciding whether post-exposure treatment is needed.

Seek urgent care after any bite or scratch from a mammal that could carry rabies, or after saliva contacts broken skin or a mucous membrane. Go promptly even when the wound looks small and even if the animal ran away. Tingling at an old wound, fever, trouble swallowing, confusion, or unusual sensitivity to air or water are emergency symptoms, but treatment decisions should happen before these develop.

Ask whether the exposure needs rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, whether the wound needs additional care, and which follow-up doses or appointments apply to you.