What should you know about rabies spread through?

Bites are the clearest route because teeth can place infected saliva into tissue. Scratches may matter when claws are contaminated with saliva. Direct saliva contact with an open wound or mucous membrane can also be relevant. Touching an animal, contact with intact skin, or contact with objects such as bedding does not normally transmit rabies. Human-to-human spread is exceptionally uncommon and is not the usual concern after an animal encounter.

Move away from the animal safely and wash the area thoroughly with soap and running water. Do not try to capture an unfamiliar or strangely behaving animal. Note the species, location, time, behaviour, and route of contact, then contact healthcare services promptly. A clinician can decide whether post-exposure treatment is needed, while veterinary or public-health teams may advise about the animal. Do not delay care while trying to identify the animal yourself.

Seek urgent medical assessment after a bite or scratch from a mammal that may carry rabies, saliva on broken skin, or saliva in the eye, mouth, or nose. Get advice even when the wound is small or the animal escaped. Bat contact deserves prompt assessment because a bite may be difficult to notice. Do not wait for tingling, fever, swallowing difficulty, confusion, or weakness; preventive treatment is considered before symptoms develop.

Ask whether the contact was a rabies exposure, what wound care is needed, whether vaccination or immunoglobulin is indicated, and whom to contact about the animal.